Stack 
Annex 
PS 
3537 


r 


V 

./v 

Ifn  Emason  Xanb 


Hfcaptations  from  JSrasilian  Writers, /^witb 
:  ©riginal  Selections 


JBg 

/iDartba  if.  Sesselberg 


"Come  bcrc,  come  bere,  a^^  owell  in  forest  beep 

Come  bere,  come  bere,  ano  lie 

J6s  wbispering  stream,         .       ,  . 

fxre  bealtb  all  seek,  anb  jov, 

Hnb  sbun  perverse  anno?, 

Hnb  lie  'neatb  bells  of  flowers  till  close  of  o 
Bnb  laugb— alwag !  " 

36 am?  Cornwall 


G.  P.  PUTNAM'S  SONS 

NEW  YORK  LONDON 

27  WEST  TWKNTY-THIRD  STREET  24  BEDFORD  STREET,  STRAND 

9|>e  ^nitherbocktt  ^rtss 
1893 


V 


* 

*» 


COPYRIGHT,    iSq-J 
BY 

MARTHA    K.    SESSELBERC; 


Electrotyped,  Printed  and  Bound  by 

finicherbocfcer  prees,  t*ew 
G.  P.  PUTNAM'S  SONS 


rs 

3537 


MY   PARA   FRIENDS 

BOTH   BRAZILIAN  AND   FOREIGN,    IS   THIS 

LITTLE    BROCHURE  AFFECTIONATELY 

AND   GRATEFULLY    DEDICATED 


• 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

A  TROPIC  IDYL I 

A  LORELEI  OF  THE  AMAZON 5 

A  TALE  OF  THE  GREAT  RIVER 9 

.AMAZONIAN  LEGENDS      ......  43 

A*MAZONIAN    BELIEFS,     TRADITIONS,     AND    SUPER 
STITIONS.  .......  53 

A  FISHING  PARTY 67 

AMAZONIAN  RUBBER  IN  "FIRST  HANDS  "  .         .         -71 
SINHAZINHA  !  .         .  .         .         .         .         -74 

AN  AMAZONIAN  FUNERAL         .         .         .         .  8 1 

DOLCE  FAR  NIENTE  .......  85 

A  BALL  IN  AMAZON  LAND 87 

ORCHIDS  FROM  A  TROPICAL  GARDEN        ...  91 
[NEAR  THE  FOREST.    A  MORNING  CALL.    THE 
FESTA  OF  OUR   LADY  OF  NAZARETH.     A 
SUMMER  ISLE.] 

AT    REST  ...  94 

v 


IN  AMAZON  LAND. 


A  TROPIC  IDYL 

MANUEL,  a  foppish  young  fellow,  of  whom  it  was 
difficult  to  decide  whether  more  of  Indian  or  mulatto 
blood  ran  in  his  veins  (probably  a  not  unequal  mixture 
of  both),  was  on  this  memorable  afternoon  stretched 
out  at  full  length  on  the  girao '  of  his  father's  hut. 

"The  lingering  sun  tinged  with  gold  the  tall  tops  of 
the  miriti  palms,  standing  in  stately  rows  along  the 
river. 

Strange  birds,  from  branches  high  in  air,  trilled  out 
their  farewell  song  to  day. 

Sdracuras,  in  noisy  notes,  burst  out  with  their 
eternal  "  Kirik6-kirik6-kirik6"-ko"-k6"-k6-k6  !  " 

No  other  sound  could  be  heard,  save,  perhaps,  the 
croaking  of  frogs,  or  the  rumbling  of  the  great  water- 
cart,  drawn  by  one  patient  ox,  and  followed  by  the 
gallego  Jose,  who  shouted  out  at  intervals:  " Agua, 
agua  fresco, !  "  (water,  fresh  water). 

Manuel  slowly  rose,  casting  an  indolent  glance  at 

his  gun  hanging  on  the  jupaty  wall,  turned  again  in 

the    direction   of   the  saracuras,  contemplated   the 

firmament,  muttering:  "It  isn't  worth  awhile.     I 

1  Girao,  a  rough  stage  raised  by  poles  above  the  floor. 


AMAZON  LAND. 


am*fcloyed  with  sajtacuras."  As  he  uttered  the  last 
word,  a  tremendous  crash  of  rockets,  followed  by  a 
gunshot  from  the  rouqueira  (settler)  roused  the  idle 
young  fellow  to  something  like  animation.  Pointing 
with  his  finger  southward,  he  exclaimed  :  "  It  is  there 
— in  the  house  of  Sr.  Fabricio — there,  to-night,  is  the 
fandango." 

Donning  his  best  cotton  trousers,  and  shirt  of 
scarlet  hue,  he  leaped  into  his  canoe,  which,  like 
some  great  reptile,  swiftly  glided  over  the  smooth 
expanse  of  water.  And  at  each  stroke  of  the  oar, 
his  voice,  flexible  and  resonant,  resounded  in  far- 
repeated  echoes :  . 

"  Nao  tenho  medo  de  onfa, 
Nem  das  pintas  que  ella  tem  ; 
Tenho  medo  da  creoula 
Quando  chega  a  querer  bem." 

Now  there  was  in  the  settlement  one  Joanna,  a 
handsome  cabocla  girl,  with  short,  curly  hair  flying 
to  the  wind.  She  cared  much  for  Manuel — but — 
very  much — to  the  point  that  she  could  not  bear  to 
pass  one  day  without  seeing  him.  On  this  special 
occasion  she  had  waited  until  the  hour  of  nine. 
Then,  too,  fell  on  her  ear  the  crash  of  fire-works, 
and  the  sound  of  the  great  gun  of  the  rouqueira. 
Jumping  up,  an  ominous  light  flashing  in  her  eyes, 
she  exclaimed  in  the  identical  words  of  the  graceless 
Manuel :  "  It  is  there — in  the  house  of  Sr.  Fabricio — 
there,  to-night,  is  the  fandango"  A  little  later,  a 
canoe,  a  gallant  bark,  freshly  painted  with  green  and 


A   TROPIC  IDYL.' 


yellow,   followed   in  the  wake  4K  that  other 
canoe. 

But  it  is  to  be  noted  that  the  bicha  (literally  "  little 
devil  ")  this  time  was  not  attired  in  her  usual  festive 
dress  of  gay-colored  skirt,  and  camisola,  adorned  with 
"  labyrinth  "  lace,  so  laboriously  done  over  a  cushion 
by  her  own  hands.  No,  she  wore  the  well  fitting 
attire  of  her  twin-brother,  and  in  her  curly  head 
floated  a  scheme  of  revenge. 

When  she  reached  the  house  of  Sr.  Fabricio,  the 
ball  was  in  full  tide.  Instead  of  joining  the  country 
dance,  she  went  about,  parrying  thrusts  and  jokes 
with  the  young  men  on  the  terrace. 

Romping   and   laughter  broke   out  on  all  sides. 

Man}*  thought  the  new  arrival  a  gallant  young  fellow. 

•  "  How  plump  he  is,"  exclaimed  a  meagre,  wizard- 

loo'king  Indian,  in  whose  veins  probably  flowed  a 

drop  of  the  anthropological  blood  of  his  ancestors. 

Joanna,  meanwhile,  went  on  her  way,  treading 
with  no  light  weight  on  the  toes  of  some,  who,  with 
the  instinct  of  nature,  approached  her  too  familiarly. 

In  her  mouth  she  rakishly  puffed  at  a  great  cigar 
of  tauarfy? 

Just  then  she  came  face  to  face  with  Manuel,  in 
the  act  of  cynically  entwining  his  arm  round  the 
waist  of  a  coy  little  roceira  (settler's  daughter). 

"  Lend  me  a  light,  caboclo"  she  said. 

He  was  about  to  do  so,  when  a  tingling  blow  on 
the  cheek  caused  him  to  see  more  stars  than  are  in 
the  firmament.  Snatching  a  knife  from  his  belt,  he 
was  about  to  attack  his  unknown  aggressor,  when  a 

1  A  sort  of  tobacco  made  from  the  pith  of  a  wild  cane. 


IN  AMAZON  LAND. 


blow,  sharAr  than  the  first,  brought  him  to 
the  earthen  floor.  In  his  ear  was  whispered :  "I 
waited  for  you  until  nine — canalha  !  " 

Moments  after,  floated  over  the  silent  waters  a 
canoe,  and  in  it  were  two  young  matutos  (rustics), 
cooing  and  billing  in  all  the  intoxicating  ecstasy  of 
happy  lovers.  Afar,  breaking  the  silence  of  night, 
the  echo  still  repeated  : 

"  Nao  tenho  medo  de  onga, 
Nem  das  pintas  que  ella  tem  ; 
Tenho  medo  da  creoula 
Quando  chega  a  querer  bem." 


A   LORELEI   OF  THE   AMAZON. 

•  • 

"  THERE  he  goes ! "  exclaimed  old  Dorothea, 
glancing  down  the  path  by  which  had  disppeared 
Joao,  her  only  son,  and  the  only  prop  of  her  isolated 
old  age.  There  he  goes,  with  a  fond  expression. 
And  continued  :  "  Deos  meo  !  What  can  be  done  to 
dissolve  this  enchantment  that  has  turned  the  head 
of  my  son  ?  "  Retiring  to  her  apartment,  she  opened 
an  old  •  oratory  in  which  were  quartered  several 
wooden  saints,  lighted  a  consecrated  candle,  and 
commenced  to  repeat  the  Deos  Padre.  Rising  to 
hw  knees,  she  took  from  a  calabash  a  few  grains  of 
mahdioca  meal,  munching  them  meanwhile  between 
her  teeth,  and  turned  into  the  same  path  by  which 
had  disappeared  Joao.  Mingling  with  the  melan 
choly  notes  of  crickets,  as  they  lay  hidden  under 
the  dry  leaves  of  the  cacoal,  could  be  heard  ever 
more  faintly  the  rude  refrain  hummed  by  poor  Joao : 

"  Who  gives  his  heart  away 

To  one  he  doesn't  know, 
For  all  the  pain  he  suffers 

Should  suffer  threefold  more."  ' 

The  momentary  tropical  twilight  had  long  since 
merged  into  darkness  when  the  desolate  old  woman 

1  Quern  da  o  seu  cora9ao 

A  gente  que  n§to  conhece, 
For  mais  penas  que  padeca 
Dobrados  penas  merece. 

5 


IN  AMAZON  LAND. 


returned,  her  eyes  swimming  with  tears,  and  in  com 
plete  despair  of  ever  being  able  to  snatch  her  son 
from  the  noose  of  that  terrible  seduction  into  which 
he  had  fallen. 

"  Good-evening,  Aunt  Dorothea,"  said  I,  at;  the 
foot  of  a  clump  of  assai  palms. 

"  God  give  the  same  to  you,  Mr.  Canuto  ;  is  it 
you  ?  And  wiping  away  with  her  cotton  skirt  two 
great  tears,  she  continued.  "  You  are  still  young 
and  bonito  "  (literally  pretty). 

"  It  is  like  your  goodness  to  say  so,  Aunt  Doro 
thea." 

"  And  bonito  as  my  son." 

"  Much  obliged,  my  good  woman." 

"  It  is  nothing,"  said  she,  attempting  between  her 
tears  a  smile.  And  resumed  :  "  My  son,  take  care 
of  yourself.  When  you  go  about  in  these  latitudes, 
above  all  by  canoe,  don't  forget  your  rosary." 

"  What  is  that  ?  " 

"  That  is  what  I  say.     Now,  look  at  Joao." 

"  And  what  is  the  matter  with  Joao  ?  " 

"  He  is  with  his  head  turned." 

"  That  is  very  natural.  He  is  exactly  at  that  age, 
which  time  brings  but  once,  and  in  which  the  mothers 
say — 

"  No  ;  no,  the  case  is  other.  Who  said  it  was  the 
sight  of  a  petticoat  ?  Then  I  would  have  gone  to 
the  priest ;  but  it  is — that — my  son  is  lost."  And 
she  concluded  with  groans  and  sobs. 

Then,  at  my  request,  she  narrated  the  following : 

"  Joao,  when  he  was  not  yet  eight  years  old, 
became  bewitched." 


A   LOKELEI  OF  THE  AMAZON. 


"  Bewitched  ?  " 

"Yes  ;  but  listen.  One  day,  late  in  the  afternoon, 
he  and  I  went  to  catch  fish  in  the  forest  stream. 
And  when  I  was  busy  beating  with  reeds  the  grass- 
fringes,  where  the  fish  love  to  hide,  Joao  disappeared. 
I  cried,  Joao,  oh!  Joao!  and — nothing.  After  look 
ing  on  all  sides,  I  saw  him  not  far  away,  bending  over 
a  tree  trunk  that  had  fallen  into  the  stream.  He 
laughed  and  talked  of  what  I  know  not,  nor  with 
whom.  I  called  him  three  times,  but  he  did  not 
answer.  Then  I  made  the  sign  of  the  cross,  calling 
out,  in  the  name  of  Deos  Padre,  etc.  Joao  raised  his 
head,  and  told  me  that  he  did  not  hear  me  call  him, 
that  he  was  far,  very  far  away,  conversing  with  a 
being  more  beautiful  than  the  sun. 

"  When  Joao  reached  the  age  of  fifteen,  there 
ne.ver  ceased  to  haunt  our  house  a  bewitching 
maiden.  There,"  and  she  pointed  with  her  finger 
to  the  side  of  the  stream,  "  to  that  great  palm  yon 
der,  that  serves  as  a  bridge  every  moonlight  night, 
she  came.  Her  eyes  were  like  the  evening  star,  and 
her  hair  was  of  gold,  and  waving  like  the  lake  when  it 
is  in  foam.  Her  face  was  white,  and  her  lips  and  cheeks 
were  of  the  rose.  At  times  she  sang,  and  her  voice 
was  more  tender  than  the  voice  of  the  sabid  [robin]. 

"  What  she  said  was  in  a  language  that  I  do  not 
understand  "  ;  but,  sighing,  "  Joao  understands." 

And  continuing :  "  When  the  moon  was  sinking 
behind  the  forest  trees,  there  came  a  cloud,  white  as 
silver. 

"  She  soared  aloft  with  the  cloud  to  sport  with  the 
stars. 


8  IN  AMAZON  LAND. 

"  Now,  that  Joao  is  entering  upon  his  eighteenth 
year,  she  no  longer  comes  ;  but  at  every  nightfall  he 
disappears  by  the  path  yonder,  and  returns  with  the 
dawn.  And  it  is  with  the  lorelei  that  he  goes  !  " 

"  With  the  lorelei  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  my  son  is  lost ;  he  will  descend  to  the 
depths  ;  he  is  enchanted." 

"Come,  Aunt  Dorothea,"  said  I,  trying  to  console 
her,  "  we  will  Penchant  the  boy.  I  have  a  remedy 
for  this  that  the  bishop  gave  me." 

"  Is  it  true  ?  "  said  she,  contentedly,  rising  to  her 
feet.  We  set  out  by  the  same  path  in  which  Joao 
had  disappeared  at  every  nightfall. 

The  cock  crowed  for  the  third  time.  The  waning 
moon  balanced  itself  in  space. 

In  the  forest  were  strange  phantoms — immovable 
shades.  After  we  had  gone  on  for  half  an  hour,  I 
spied  under  the  dense  trees  a  tape'ra,  or  abandoned 
hut.  It  caused  me  a  mixture  of  sensations  to  see 
therein  two  figures.  Just  then  the  moon  in  full 
glory  emerged  from  a  cloud.  Oh ! 

I  went  away  slowly,  and  slowly  called  Aunt 
Dorothea.  "  Aunt  Dorothea,  how  is  it  that  you  told 
me  the  lorelei  was  white  like  the  moon,  and  had  hair 
of  gold,  and  her  lips  and  cheeks  were  of  the  rose?" 

"  It  is  true  ;  what  then  ?  " 

"What  then  !  She  is  brown  like  the  sapucaia,  her 
hair  is  of  jet,  and  her  eyes  are  black  like  the  depths 
of  night."  By  the  hand  I  took  the  old  woman,  and 
showed  her  a  seductive  picture.  The  next  day  we 
went  to  the  parish  church  to  look  for  the  old  priest. 
And  I  was  the/^rz'w/^the  best  man  at  a  wedding). 


A  TALE  OF  THE  GREAT  RIVER. 

CHAPTER    I. 

THAT  day  Mr.  Espirito  Santo  da  Silva  returned 
home  to  dinner  later  than  usual  and  in  a  very  bad 
humor.  Seating  himself  at  the  head  of  the  table,  in 
the  cool  attire  of  cotton  shirt  and  trousers,  his  feet 
encased  in  tamancos  (wooden  shoes),  he  called  out 
in  a  gruff  voice  for  dinner. 

.A.  little  negress,  who  had  just  emptied  the  last 
calabash  of  yellow  farinJta,  by  the  last  plate  placed 
on  the  coarse  white  table-cloth,  went  to  the  kitchen, 
and,  telling  her  mistress  that  the  pae-sinho  (little 
father)  was  at  the  table  and  wished  to  eat,  returned 
with  a  bowl  of  broth  and  a  plate  of  boiled  meat. 
These  she  placed  in  front  of  Espirito,  close  to  whom, 
seated  on  a  bench  the  length  of  the  table,  was  his 
daughter,  a  pale,  pretty  brunette,  with  black  lustrous 
eyes  and  hair.  Finally  came  his  wife,  Dona  Feliciana, 
or,  as  her  friends  called  her,  Dona  Felica, — a  short 
brown  woman  with  snow-white  hair,  who  was  dressed 
in  a  faded  cotton  skirt  and  camisola. 

It  was  mid-day,  sultry  and  oppressive,  and  the 
dinner  passed  on  in  silence.  Mr.  Espirito  attacked 
successively  the  meat  with  its  tambaqui  sauce,  sea 
soned  with  fragrant  red  peppers  ;  roast  game  oipaca 

9 


10  IN  AMAZON  LAND. 

with  vegetables  of  mandioca  sprouts.  This  was 
helped  down  by  an  enormous  quantity  of  farinJia, 
which  he  threw  down  his  throat  with  the  tips  of  his 
fingers,  and  with  no  little  skill  and  precision,  acquired 
not  alone  from  custom  since  earliest  childhood,  but 
inherited  from  generations  of  ancestors. 

The  girl,  for  the  purpose,  used  a  spoon,  and  with 
her  father's  unerring  skill  and  precision. 

As  they  were  beginning  the  dessert,  gre.at  yellow 
fruits  of  iheflacova  tree,  also  accompanied  by  much 
fartn/ia,  Espirito  said  to  his  wife  :  "Get  everything 
ready,  we  are  going  away." 

"Where?"  she  inquired,  without  further  com 
ment.  "  To  the  Parus.  I  have  already  told  Antonio 
to  provision  the  canoe.  We  must  start  as  soon  as 
possible,  for  fish  is  matto  [wood]  this  year,  they'  say." 

"  When,  then  ?  " 

"  To-day  is  Thursday.     Then  on  Monday." 

During  this  chill,  brief  conversation,  Rosa,  for  such 
was  the  name  of  Mr.  Espirito's  daughter,  appeared 
slightly  perturbed.  With  her  mouth  full  of  banana, 
her  half-opened  lips  still  sprinkled  over  withfarinAa, 
a  faint  blush  rose  to  her  cheeks  as  she  met  her  father's 
eye. 

This  passed  unobserved,  however,  and  all  left  the 
table.  Rosa  went  to  the  parlor,  seated  herself  by 
her  lace  "  cushion,"  whose  bobbins  in  her  little  hands 
jingled  back  and  forth  with  a  tinkling  sound.  Her 
father  stretched  himself  out  in  the  hammock,  hung 
across  a  corner  of  the  veranda,  and,  with  his  long 
cacJiimbo  (Indian  pipe)  fallen  on  the  floor,  slept,  and 
snored  lustily.  He  was  speedily  accompanied  by 


A   TALE   OF  THE   GREA  T  RIVER.  1 1 

Dona  Felica,  who  had  swung  her  hammock  in  the 
little  alcove,  between  veranda  and  parlor.  This 
last  room — pompously  called  the  saloon — was  fur 
nished  with  a  dozen  chairs  of  stiff,  solid  Portuguese 
manufacture,  two  great  cedar  trunks,  painted  dark 
green,  with  red  flowering  branches  on  their  respective 
covers,  and  a  great  wooden  oratory,  painted  blue 
with  yellow  lines  to  represent  gold.  From  the  wall 
hung  tw^religious  pictures,  St.  Sebastian  and  Sant' 
Anna,  and  a  hammock  swung  in  one  corner.  These 
made  up  the  furniture  of  the  room,  tiled,  like  the 
rest  of  the  house,  with  square  red  brick.  Those  two 
unmusical  sounds  reached  the  ears  of  Rosa,  who, 
with  an  air  not  unlike  the  timid  deer  of  her  father's 
forest,  as  on  the  outskirts  he  pauses  to  know  whether 
without  fear  or  danger  he  may  slake  his  thirst  in  the 
neighboring  stream,  pauses  to  listen.  Certain  that 
her  parents  slept,  she  hastened  to  the  window  and 
looked  nervously  out. 

The  long,  narrow  street  of  Obidos  was  deserted. 
It  was  the  noon-day  hour  of  slumber.  Nature,  as 
well  as  man,  seemed  lost  in  repose.  The  sun,  from 
a  blue,  cloudless  sky,  poured  down  his  fiery  rays, 
casting  electric  scintillations  in  the  air,  that  stifled 
the  very  senses.  Doors  and  windows  of  the  two 
rows  of  low,  uneven  houses  were  shut  fast.  Now 
and  then  the  faintest  of  breezes  stirred  the  fronds 
of  the  tnucajd  palms. 

A  great  red  ox  grazed  tranquilly  on  the  village 
green,  his  ruminating  cud  the  only  sound  that  broke 
the  intense  silence,  save  the  rustling  of  blue  and 
green  lizards  combating  with  one  another  for  in- 


12  IN  AMAZON  LAND. 

numerable  tiny  insects.  Even  shops  and  groceries 
were  half  closed,  the  clerks,  while  their  patrons  slept 
within,  nodding  lazily  over  the  counters.  Soon  after 
Rosa  had  gone  to  the  window,  a  young  mulatto  girl 
came  down  the  street.  Her  blue  and  yellow-skirt 
was  tucked  up  on  one  side,  between  dress  band  and 
the  warm  palpitating  flesh,  while  her  camisola,  almost 
sleeveless,  hung  far  below  one  shoulder,  revealing, 
with  unconscious  immodesty,  neck  and  Kfcst.  She 
was  on  her  way  to  the  igaraptf  for  water,  the  red  jar 
for  which  she  carried  uprightly  on  her  head.  In  a 
corner  of  her  mouth  was  a  short  pipe.  As  she 
passed  she  turned  round,  grinning  maliciously  as  if 
she  knew  Rosa  awaited  some  one.  And,  indeed, 
shortly  the  figure  of  a  young  man  appeared  at 
the  corner  of  the  street,  whom,  with  a  swift  motion 
of  the  hand,  the  girl  beckoned  to  her,  while  he 
hastened  his  footsteps.  Reaching  the  window,  a 
low,  rapid  conversation  ensued ;  she  now  and  then 
stealing  away  to  watch  within,  he  glancing  about 
in  all  directions,  both  with  the  vague  unrest  of 
evil-doers. 

Rosa  told  him  of  their  departure,  of  her  despair  at 
leaving  him,  him  for  whom  she  cared  so  dearly,  and 
implored  him,  for  the  love  of  God  and  the  dear 
Virgin,  to  fulfil  the  promise  to  which  he  had  sworn. 
With  his  eyes  fixed  on  the  ground  he  listened  to  her 
agonized  appeal  in  silence.  Over  his  lips  played  a 
fine,  ironical  smile.  Finally  he  answered  :  "  I  cannot 
marry  now.  If  I  did,  the  patron  would  show  me 
the  door,  and  I  cannot  afford  to  brave  his  anger — 
Have  patience — I  care  for  you  well — Patience — 


A    TALE   OF   THE   GREAT  RIVER.  13 

But  now,  adeos — You  know  the  bad  tongues  "  (ma 
linguas).  He  pressed  her  hand  tenderly,  yet  still 
over  his  lips  played  the  same  faint,  ironical  smile. 
Rosa  followed  his  footsteps  with  sad,  dejected  looks, 
and 'as  he  turned  the  corner  without  once  looking 
round,  she  dropped,  with  a  peevish  gesture,  the  straw 
curtain  which  swept  the  window-sill  with  a  jarring 
sound.  It  was  time.  The  hour  of  siesta  was  pass 
ing,  already  doors  and  windows  were  opening,  and 
people  were  appearing  in  the  street. 

Until  Rosa  was  twelve  years  old,  she  had  lived  on 
her  father's  farm  at  some  distance  from  Obidos. 
This  was  a  fair  property,  consisting  of  some  5,000 
cocoa  trees,  besides  excellent  grazing  grounds,  which 
Espirito  inherited  from  his  father,  who,  in  his  turn, 
had  inherited  it  from  the  grandfather,  one  of  the 
first  colonists  of  the  place.  The  house  in  nothing 
could  be  distinguished  from  other  houses  round.  It 
had  the  same  long  front,  in  whose  thick  clay  walls 
opened  four  rectangular  doors,  and  was  divided  into 
four  compartments  of  equal  size,  communicating  one 
with  the  other  by  chinks,  covered  in  lieu  of  doors 
withjaflas. 

At  one  side  was  a  straw-covered  hut,  where  was 
the  oven  with  all  the  appurtenances  for  making 
farinha.  On  the  other,  was  the  great  tendal  for 
drying  cacao. 

In  front  of  the  house  were  tropical  shrubs,  fruit 
trees,  orange,  sapotilla,  copuassti,  passion-plant,  and 
there  was  one  stately  cocoa-palm,  whose  fruits  were 
especially  dedicated  to  Saint  Antonio.  A  calabash 
tree  threatened  with  its  great  round  fruits  the 


14  IN  AMAZON  LAND. 

security  of  an  old  canoe,  raised  up  by  four  sticks 
from  the  ground  and  filled  with  earth,  in  which  were 
planted,  as  if  in  a  hanging  garden,  all  sorts  of  flowers 
in  a  discordance  of  color  and  perfume. 

On  all  sides  stretched  out  the  sombre  shadows  of 
the  great  cocoal.  This  farm,  as  is  a  rule  in  the 
Amazon,  bore  the  name  of  a  saint,  which,  by  the 
way,  indicates  no  sign  of  any  particular  religious 
sentiment  on  the  part  of  its  owners.  It  was  called 
Saint  Isidoro,  for  what  reason  is  not  known.  For  a 
long  time  Espirito  seldom  left  its  precincts  unless  to 
go  to  town  on  election  day,  or  for  some  festivity  or 
other.  Here  Rosa  was  born,  and  grew,  and  jomped 
and  played  under  the  cocoa  and  orange  trees.  Her 
father,  an  ignorant  man,  who  could  little  more  than 
read  or  write,  still  had  much  common-sense  marred 
by  great  indolence,  the  vice  of  all  Amazonian  settlers. 
He  married  early,  without  passion  or  even  interest, 
a  neighbor's  daughter,  to  whose  house  he  had  be 
come  accustomed  as  a  bachelor.  Dona  Felica,  a 
superb,  voluptuous  specimen  of  mameluca  girl,  with 
all  the  defects  and  good  qualities  of  that  race,  pos 
sessed  not  only  greater  physical  strength  than  her 
husband,  but  far  more  ambition  and  activity.  When 
she  was  young  (inoca),  meaning  until  her  sixteenth 
year,  she  was  tender  and  caressing  in  all  her  words 
towards  her  husband,  but  with  a  tenderness  and 
affection  purely  sensual.  This,  after  a  time,  merged 
into  respect,  even  fear,  and,  finally,  into  the  passive 
submission  of  a  slave.  Still,  she  possessed  over  him 
the  superiority  of  the  worker.  She  it  was  who 
directed  the  labor  of  the  house  and  the  farm,  plant- 


A   TALE   OF  THE   GREA  T  RIVER. 


ing  the  mandioca,  making  farinha,  helping  to  gather 
cocoa,  and  on  the  fishing  excursions  taking  even  a 
hand  at  the  oar.  Two  years  passed  after  their  mar 
riage  before  the  birth  of  Rosa ;  certainly  her  parents 
were*  fond  of  her,  but  would  have  deemed  it  no 
poignant  affliction  had  she  never  been  born.  At 
nearly  the  same  time  an  Indian  woman  in  the  house 
gave  birth  to  a  boy,  and  to  her  was  given  the  care 
and  nursing  of  Rosa,  who  grew  up,  if  not  a  robust, 
at  least  a  healthy  child.  She  lived  a  half  amphibious 
life  between  beach  and  water.  She  built  tiny  huts 
in  the  sand  in  which  to  shelter  and  swing  in  bits  of 
hammocks  her  dolls,  made  either  by  mother  or  nurse 
— monstrosities  still  interesting  as  works  of  primitive 
art.  To  her  moral  education  little  attention  was 
given.  She  was  rarely  punished,  except  in  cases  of 
disobedience  or  insubordination.  In  the  sala  before 
mentioned  was  an  oratory,  covered  with  coarse, 
deformed  images.  Partly  through  teaching,  partly 
through  observation,  she  learned  that  they  were 
called  saints,  who  lived  with  the  Father  in  Heaven 
{papae  doceo),  also  that  when  she  cried  they  were 
displeased.  She  noticed  that  they  were  seldom 
approached  except  in  case  of  thunder,  or  family 
affliction,  when  a  candle  was  lighted  and  placed 
before  them,  or  even  a  jewel,  or  a  bright  bunch  of 
flowers.  So  she  sometirrres  on  similar  occasions 
placed  her  playthings  on  the  oratory.  Once  she  saw 
her  Indian  nurse,  who  had  lost  and  could  not  find  a 
golden  ear-ring,  beat,  in  a  sudden  access  of  fury,  a 
certain  Saint  Antonio,  beat  him  vigorously  with  a 
twig  of  the  cipo,  and  then  turn  his  face  in  disgrace 


1 6  IN  AMAZON  LAND. 

towards  the  wall.  As  they  told  her,  when  she  cried, 
that  the  saints  and  our  Lady  did  not  like  crying  or 
naughty  children,  she  began  to  fear  them,  and  to 
eye  them  timorously  from  afar.  For  about  the 
same  reason,  she  was  frightened  at  the  currupira 
and  the  tiitii,  wicked  black  witches  who  devoured 
naughty  children.  The  nurse,  or  Indian  mother 
(mae-tapuia),  as  Rosa  called  her,  was  accustomed  to 
sing  her  to  sleep  with  Indian  rhymes,  not  wholly 
unmusical.  Later,  she  told  her  stories  of  ghosts 
and  goblins,  of  wood-elfs  and  forest  nymphs,  so  that 
no  wonder  the  poor  child  confounded  savage  super 
stitions  with  the  history  of  saints  and  the  teachings 
of  Mother  Church.  These  last  were  initiated  by 
Rosa's  grandmother,  who  taught  her  to  make  the 
sign  of  the  cross  and  to  repeat  the  Ave  Maria  and 
Lord's  Prayer.  At  night,  tired  out  with  play,  she 
generally  lay  down  in  the  same  clothes  she  had 
worn  during  the  day.  Finally,  in  an  evil  hour,  at 
the  urgent  request  of  some  political  friends,  the 
father  decided  to  move  to  Obidos,  where  he  would 
hold  some  slight  position  in  the  Common  Council. 
Rosa  was  rejoiced  at  the  change,  but  experienced  a 
certain  depression  of  spirits  at  the  loss  of  her  old 
companions  and  wild  liberty  of  action.  This,  as  she 
was  placed  at  school,  wore  away,  where,  being  quick, 
she  made  rapid  progress,  and  at  the  end  of  two  years, 
she  had  learned  all  that  was  in  these  parts  deemed 
necessary  for  a  woman  to  know.  She  had  her  cate 
chism  by  heart,  she  knew  the  elementary  branches, 
and  could  sew,  embroider,  and  make  the  country  lace 
to  perfection. 


A   TALE   OF  THE   GREAT  RIVER.  I/ 

On  her  way  to  school,  Rosa  had  to  pass  the  shop 
of  a  certain  Manuel  Bicudo,  to  whose  clerk,  Antonio, 
had  been  given  the  same  surname.  This  clerk  was 
an  evil-minded  fellow,  feared  by  the  peaceful  Obi- 
dense^,  on  account  of  his  malevolent  tongue  and  the 
calumnies  he  so  cunningly  invented  and  set  into  cir 
culation.  Unhappily,  Rosa  did  not  know  his  real 
character,  and  had  she  been  told  it  is  doubtful 
whether  any  impression  would  have  been  made  on 
the  volatile  mind  of  the  girl.  Moreover,  Antonio 
was  very  good-looking,  with  the  supple  frame  and 
great  languid  eyes  of  the  Peninsula.  Whenever 
Rosa  passed,  followed  by  the  mae-tapuia,  who  carried 
along  her  little  tin  box  of  books  and  sewing,  he  never 
omitted  to  pay  her  some  simple  compliment,  which, 
she,  proud  of  her  conquest,  smilingly  received.  Now 
she,  like  others  of  her  precocious  schoolmates,  had 
some  one  to  love  and  to  love  her.  As  to  the  mae- 
tapuia,  whose  heart  Antonio  had  won  over  by  pres 
ents  of  cotton  cloth,  pieces  of  tobacco,  and  cups  of 
aguadenteso  agreeable  to  the  Indian  palate,  she  even 
favored  these  attentions,  and  one  day  took  from 
her  belt  a  letter  filled  with  protestations  of  love 
which  Rosa  speedily  answered.  And  at  this  time 
Antonio  really  seemed  to  have  lost  his  head  over 
Rosa.  At  mass  his  eyes  seldom  left  her,  and  it 
seemed  an  ecstasy  for  both,  that  silent  interchange  of 
glances.  He  still  loved  to  assume  airs  of  the  sceptic, 
and  at  the  church  fair,  dedicated  to  Sant*  Anna,  he 
offered,  to  the  horror  of  the  devout,  a  sagui  (small 
monkey)  which  he  had  bought  for  ten  milreis,  to  this 
favorite  saint. 


1 8  IN  AMAZON  LAND. 

With  the  facility  which  small  places  offer  for  mak 
ing  acquaintances,  he  began  to  frequent  the  windows 
of  Espirito's  house,  now  conversing  with  him,  now 
with  D.  Felica,  then  with  Rosa,  who  at  first  was 
shy  and  silent. 

He  accepted,  one  day,  a  proffered  cup  of  coffee, 
and  entered  the  dwelling.  His  fine  airs  and  graces 
finished  the  conquest  of  D.  Felica,  at  whose  "  orders  " 
he  had  already  placed  the  shop  of  his  patron.  Of 
this  acquaintance  Espirito  did  not  disapprove,  as  it 
permitted  him  to  open  a  credit  therein.  By  these 
means  Antonio  gained  over  him  the  superiority  of 
a  creditor,  which  afforded  him  a  still  freer  access 
to  the  house,  and  he  began  to  woo  the  daughter 
openly.  The  mother  to  this  paid  little  attention, 
and  she  knew  just  as  little  of  her  daughter's  natyre, 
in  which  already  could  be  detected  possibilities  of 
that  terrible  abandon  with  which  a  woman,  regard 
less  o/  risk  or  duty,  can  give  herself  up,  body  and 
soul,  to  the  man  she  loves.  Things  were  at  this 
pass  when  Antonio  was  suddenly  dismissed  from 
his  place.  In  his  pocket  were  the  "  economies"  of 
years,  made,  be  it  understood,  at  the  cost  of  his  em 
ployer's  money  drawer.  In  a  letter  to  Rosa  he 
accused  her  of  being  the  cause  of  his  disgrace.  The 
patron,  he  wrote,  had  forbidden  him  to  visit  her 
father's  house,  and  neither  would  he  trust  him  for 
a  single  vintein  (cent)  more.  Of  course,  loving  her 
as  he  did,  he,  Antonio,  refused  to  comply  with  this 
arbitrary  request,  and  had  been  turned  out.  This 
story,  which  the  nurse  confirmed,  Rosa  believed. 
The  idea  that  she  had  made  a  victim  not  only  caused 


A   TALE   OF  THE   GREAT  RIVER.  19 

her  vanity  to  overflow,  but  redoubled  her  love.  She 
had  caused  a  human  being  to  suffer — here — this 
poor  fellow  was  persecuted  on  her  account.  She 
loved  him  more  passionately  than  ever ;  her  increased 
affection  taking  the  form  of  maternal  tenderness, 
which  is  at  the  bottom  of  every  woman's  heart. 
Poor  fellow — in  a  foreign  land — far  from  kindred 
and  friends — and  now  unhappy — all  for  her.  Ought 
she  not  then  to  protect  him  with  her  love,  to  console 
him  with  her  caresses?  He  had  sacrificed  himself 
for  her.  .  .  .  Alas  !  from  Antonio  had  not  been 
hidden  this  vehement  access  «of  passion.  He  be 
came,  in  consequence,  exacting,  feigning  jealousy, 
which  flattered  the  poor  girl,  seeing  as  she  did  in 
this  a  new  proof  of  love.  Then  he  spoke  of  an 
interview — he  was  again  employed,  and  very  busy 
— he  wished  to  speak  to  her  alone — of  their 
marriage — and  much  that  lay  near  his  heart.  She 
refused,  at  which  refusal  he  became  angry,  de 
claring  that  she  did  not  do  as  he  wished,  because 
she  no  longer  cared  for  him — he  knew  she  cared 
for  some  one  else — one  Joao  de  Gomes. — She  did 
not  love  him,  Antonio,  and  he  had  been  silly  in 
sacrificing  himself  for  her. — He  would  go  away  to 
the  Madeira  River,  and  it  would  be  her  fault  if  he 
died  of  the  fever. 

Then,  for  days,  he  never  passed  the  door.  They 
were  sad  only  for  Rosa,  torn  to  pieces  by  the  conflict 
ing  desire  of  seeing  Antonio,  and  talking  with  him 
at  will,  and  the  dr^ad  of  her  parents'  wrath  were  she 
discovered.  And  she  thought  of  a  plan  by  which 
nobody  should  know  of  their  meeting.  She  had 


2O  Iff  AMAZON  LAND, 

been  accustomed  to  bathe  in  the  little  forest  lake, 
with  the  mac-tapuia,  and  here  he  should  appear  as 
if  by  chance,  and  they  could  talk  together.  The 
mae-tapuia,  to  be  sure,  would  not  leave  them  alone, 
and  she  might  suspect  they  wished  to  speak  of  things 
not  meant  for  a  third  person's  ear,  but  then  she  was 
silent  and  discreet.  And  this  plan  carried  out — 
they  sometimes  met.  Time  passed,  when  one  day 
Rosa  received  a  note,  saying  that  to-morrow  would 
pass  the  steamer  Tapajds,  and  that  if  she  con 
tinued  so  obdurate,  well — then  he  would  take  his 
passage  by  her — so*  then  an  eternal  farewell  from 
him  who  had  loved  her  well — the  ungratqful  one ! 
This  blotted  letter,  with  its  disguised  handwriting, 
bore  no  signature.  Antonio's  resolution,  terrified 
Rosa.  The  idea  of  losing  him  maddened  her.  She 
would  send  him  a  message  at  once.  Going  to  the 
kitchen,  she  took  from  the  coal  basket  a  piece 
of  coal,  which  she  wrapped  round  with  a  thread 
of  the  tucum,  into  which  she  had  fastened  eleven 
knots.  Hiding  this,  wrapped  up  in  paper,  in  her 
bosom,  she  seated  herself  at  the  window,  waiting 
an  auspicious  moment  for  sending  this  singular  mes 
sage.  Presently,  a  little  tapuya  passed,  a  sickly, 
demented-looking  girl.  In  her  arm  was  a  bottle,  in 
which,  probably,  to  purchase  rum,  at  the  venda. 

"  Are  you  passing  Sr.  Antonio's  store  ?  "  asked 
Rosa. 

"  Sim,  Senhora." 

"  Here  take  these  four  vinteyis  [four  cents]  for 
doces,  they  are  for  you,  and  take  this  parcel  to  Sr. 
Antonio,  and  say  '  by  the  old  garden-gate.' ' 


A   TALE    OF  THE   GREAT  RIVER.  21 

"  Sim,  Senhora." 

Antonio  received  parcel  and  message.  At  first,  he 
could  not  understand  the  former,  but  finally  it 
dawned  upon  him  that  the  coal  meant  night,  and 
the  eleven  knots  in  the  tucum  the  corresponding 
hour.  And  he  laughed  a  laugh,  worthy  of  the  Evil 
One  himself. 

All  in  Espirito's  house  slept — all  except  Rosa. 
Feverish  with  fear  and  waiting,  she  had  counted 
the  hours  until  now  the  old  kitchen  clock  sounded 
out  eleven.  In  the  same  white  dress  she  had  worn 
during  the  day,  pale,  barefooted,  her  black  hair 
waving  over  her  shoulders,  she  slipped  out  into 
the  garden.  The  night  was  clear  and  humid.  The 
moon,  like  a  golden  globe  in  the  clear  blue  sky,, 
bathed  all  nature  in  light.  Silence  reigned,  broken 
by  the  discordant  howl  of  a  dog  which,  from  afar 
reached  Rosa's  ears.  At  the  rough  garden  gate,  of 
acapti  sticks,  she  paused  tremulous,  nearly  senseless. 

She  felt  an  arm  encircle  her  waist,  and  on  her 
cheeks,  already  humid  with  the  dews  of  night,  were 
pressed  hot  kisses.  She  instinctively  shrunk  and 
withdrew.  Still,  every  nerve  of  her  body,  quiver 
ing  in  that  opulence  of  cold  light,  called  out  for  warm, 
suffocating  caresses.  She  felt  prostrated,  as  if  before 
some  mystic  vision.  Then  he  whispered  in  her  ear, 
low,  tender,  supplicating  words.  She  scarcely  had 
strength  to  shrink  farther  away. 

"Are  you  deceiving  me?"  she  murmured  in  a 
failling  voice,  and  looking  at  him  with  a  great 
tenderness. 


22  IN  AMAZON  LAND. 

"  I  am  not  deceiving  you  ;  I  swear  by  this  moon 
light  that  is  bathing  us  in  its  heavenly  radiance," 
he  replied,  touched  in  spite  of  himself  into  momen 
tary  earnestness. 

"In  the  name  of  God,"  she  continued,  f'  you 
promise  to  marry  me." 

"  In  the  name  of  God  " — imprinting  on  her  lips 
a  long  kiss.  The  dog  from  afar  gave  one  last  dis 
cordant  howl ;  a  bird  from  a  neighboring  tree  sent 
forth  one  wild,  sharp  note  ;  the  moon  under  a  passing 
cloud  hid  her  face  of  glory;  and  nature  was  hushed 
into  oppressive  silence. 

* 

That  night  Dona  Felica  was  disturbed  by  a  noise  in 
her  fowl  yard.  Hastily  rising,  without  removing  her 
night  clothes,  she  examined  the  place.  All  was  quiet. 
Withal,  it  seemed  to  her  that  near  the  garden  gate 
moved  two  figures — one  of  a  man,  the  other  of  a 
woman.  She  was  proceeding  thither,  when  again 
the  moon  hid  her  face  under  a  cloud,  and  all  was 
wrapped  in  gloom.  At  the  same  time,  the  howl 
of  a  dog  resounded  from  afar,  and  the  wailing  note 
of  a  bird  in  the  tree  overhead  sounded  out  like  a 
groan.  Dona  Felica,  always  superstitious,  crossed 
herself,  ran  hastily  to  her  room,  sprinkling  over  her 
face  a  little  of  the  holy  water  yet  remaining  in  the 
calabash.  Then  the  moon  came  out  in  renewed 
glory,  and  it  seemed  as  if  all  in  the  house  of  Espirito 
slept. 


CHAPTER   II. 

ON  the  identical  Monday  which  has  been  men 
tioned,  Espirito  set  out  with  his  family  for  the  Parus, 
where  it  was  said  this  year  the  pirarucu  abounded. 
What  obliged  him  to  leave  the  charm  of  town  life  and 
the  honorable  occupation  of  his  calling  was  dire 
necessity. 

With  .little  foresight,  he  had  left  his  farm,  abandon 
ing  with  it  his  only  legitimate  interests.  He  had 
run  into  debt  and  was  obliged,  in  order  to  rescue  the 
property  from  seizure,  to  make  the  annual  fishery. 
On  this  account  he  had  returned  home  in  such  a 
bad  humor  on  the  day  he  announced  his  determina 
tion  to  DonaFelica.  He  had  become  accustomed  to 
the  idle  life,  to  the  disputes  and  debates  and  bab 
bling  talk  of  the  little  town.  Home  he  seldom  came 
except  to  meals  or  at  bedtime.  Outside  of  the 
Council  sessions,  he  was  generally  to  be  found  at 
shop  doors,  or  at  the  apothecary's  shop,  the  great 
meeting-place  for  gossip  and  political  intrigues. 

As  for  the  farm,  it  was  going  to  rack  and  ruin. 
Espirito  had  let  it  to  an  old  Indian,  an  idle  scamp 
of  a  fellow.  The  crop  produced  little,  and  half  that 
little  was  robbed. 

On  the  morning  of  their  departure,  Obidos  pre 
sented  a  gay  appearance.  The  semi-monthly 
steamer  had  arrived,  a  great  event  in  the  early  days 

23 


24  IN  AMAZON  LAND. 

* 

of  the  opening  of  the  Amazon.  Through  curiosity, 
or  to  receive  or  send  unimportant  cargoes,  people 
came  for  miles  around  to  see  it.  The  town's  entire 
population,  men,  women,  and  children,  turned  out, 
and  when  the  great  anchor  was  cast,  the  steamer  was 
surrounded  by  canoes.  Many  came  simply  to  com 
pliment  the  captain,  or  commander,  as  he  was  called 
in  those  times  of  the  Amazon  Co.,  an  important 
personage  enough,  with  a  superb  disdain  for  these 
simple  country  people.  Still,  were  he  in  a  good 
humor,  he  would  narrate  the  news  of  Para  and  the 
south,  generally  affecting  an  intimacy  with  the  "  big 
ones  "  {figurots).  No  end  of  presents  were  brought 
him — cakes,  doccs,  monkeys,  parrots,  fruits,  rare 
woods.  After  the  distribution  of  the  mail,  groups 
formed  at  the  corners  of  the  streets,  or  in  front  t>f 
the  town  hall,  where  letters  and  papers  were  shown 
and  news  discussed.  Many  of  the  passengers  went 
on  shore;  one  of  them,  a  highly  tatooed 'Indian  chief 
from  the  Purus,  showed  all  the  native  indifference 
to  the  sights  of  the  town.  He  was  returning  from 
a  visit  to  the  President  of  Para,  whom  at  a  formal 
session  at  the  palace  he  had  astonished  beyond  de 
scription.  According  to  some  preconceived  Indian 
idea  of  etiquette,  on  his  Excellency's  head  he  had 
placed  his  flaming  head-dress  of  feathers,  while  on  his 
own  rested  the  sober  black  hat  of  that  dignitary. 
A  tall,  thin  English  naturalist,  with  yellow  beard, 
and  wearing  enormous  blue  glasses,  gesticulated  in 
impossible  Portuguese  around  his  luggage,  on  the 
top  of  which  perched  a  garrulous  parrot.  By  frantic 
signs  and  gesticulations  an  Indian  porter  was  made 


A   TALE   OF  THE   GREAT  RIVER.  2$ 

to  understand  that  the  senhor  and  his  luggage  were 
to  be  taken  ashore. 

Under  the  awning  of  the  great  canoe,  Rosa,  with 
palpitating  heart,  watched  the  scene.  She  looked 
towards  the  town,  half  hidden  from  view  by  great 
Brazil-nut  trees,  at  the  beach,  at  the  water,  where 
men  and  women  alike  waded  knee-deep  to  fill  their 
rude  jars  with  water.  For  him,  for  whom  her  eyes 
were  searching,  she  looked  in  vain.  No  one  came. 

The  canoe  was  let  loose  at  a  good,  safe  "  broad 
side"  from  the  steamer,  and  soon  Obidos,  its 
white  beach,  flat  houses,  and  outlying  forest,  faded 
into  the  distance.  Rosa's  last  hope  was  dis 
pelled.  Miserable  and  humiliated,  down  her  cheeks 
ran  the  swift-flowing  tears.  Her  parents  attributed 
h£r  grief  to  the  pain  of  leaving  town,  and  left  her  to 
herself. — It  would  soon  pass  over.  The  girl's  sen 
sations  are  difficult  to  describe.  She  experienced 
neither  remorse  nor  sorrow,  but  a  scorching  fire  of 
fury,  that  she  had  given  herself  up  to  one  who  evi 
dently  cared  no  longer  for  her,  whom,  alas !  she  loved 
more  dearly  than  ever. 

The  voyage  to  the  fisheries  passed  uneventfully 
enough.  Once  only  the  canoe  stopped,  and  this  was 
at  the  mouth  of  a  picturesque  igarape,  in  order  to  cut 
estejas  (long  sticks  of  even  length)  for  the  hut,  as  by 
the  lakes  were  to  be  found  none  of  these  materials. 

The  Partis  to  which  Espirito  went  with  his  family 
is,  in  the  fishing  time,  not  one  lake  alone,  but  a  con 
glomeration  of  lakes,  some  fifty  in  number,  known 
collectively  by  that  name.  Like  all  the  Amazon 
coast  region,  it  presents  yearly  two  widely  distinct 


26  IN  AMAZON  LAND. 

aspects.  In  the  rainy  season,  or  during  the  general 
overflow  of  the  Amazon,  whose  despotic  influence 
is  felt  by  all  waters  connected  with  it  directly  or  in 
directly,  the  Partis  is  one  vast  lake,  whose  length  has 
not  been  accurately  calculated.  In  summer  or  the 
dry  season,  islands  submerged  for  nearly  five  months 
rise  from  the  waters  fresh  and  verdant,  leaving  in 
their  wake  lakes  of  varying  forms,  depths,  and  sizes, 
all  connected  together  by  igarapcs  or  channels. 
And  where  months  before  had  passed  some  steamer, 
are  (erected  on  the  higher  banks  of  these  igarapes] 
traders'  huts,  and  on  the  lesser  lakes  fishermen  ply 
their  tiny  canoes. 

Still,  in  summer  as  in  winter,  water  is  the  pre 
dominating  element ;  the  air  is  saturated  with  it,  and 
at  night  one  is  wrapped  around  by  the  overcharged 
dew,  as  with  a  wet  mantle.  On  these  margins,  less 
swept  by  the  furrows  of  canoes,  rises  a  superb 
aquatic  vegetation.  At  certain  distances  this  girdle 
of  green  is  spotted  by  beaches  of  black  earth,  fre 
quented  by  legions  of  gorgeous  butterflies ;  at  a 
distance,  and  in  repose,  appearing  like  flowers 
springing  from  the  black  soil.  Millions  of  tiny 
birds  revel  in  this  vegetation,  among  the  leaves  and 
flowers  from  which  the  bdto '  loves  to  wreathe  gar 
lands  for  his  victims. 

Isolated  in  the  tranquil  lakes  nearer  terra  firma, 
the  Victoria  regia  (Jacunda's  oven  of  the  natives) 

1  Bdto,  a  fish  which,  according  to  the  Amazonian  legends,  takes  the 
form  of  a  beautiful  youth.  His  voice  is  low  and  full  of  melody. 
Alas  for  the  Indian  maiden  who  in  the  witching  moonlight  hears  it 
and  flees  not  ! 


A  TALE  OF  THE  GREA  T  RIVER.       2/ 

unfolds,  bordered  round  with  a  vivid  carnation,  its 
enormous  semi-spherical  leaves.  Rising  a  few  inches 
above  the  water,  fragrant  past  all  sweetness,  are  its 
flowers  :  in  the  morning,  white  as  a  heron's  wing ;  at 
evening,  a  tender  rose-pink,  which  finally  deepens 
into  red.  Despite  its  seclusion,  the  Victoria  regia, 
through  its  wild,  savage  beauty,  its  extraordinary 
size,  will  ever  dominate  over  all  the  aquatic  world's 
flora. 

Lazily  floating  on  these  same  lakes  may  be  seen 
hundreds  of  alligators,  as  lazily  waiting  for  worthless 
pieces  of  fish  thrown  into  the  water  by  the  fish 
ermen.  ,  When  these  pieces  are  not  thrown  with 
sufficient  force  to  reach  the  water,  the  alligators 
quickly  come  ashore  for  them.  Famished  urubus, 
which  with  men  and  dogs  also  emigrate  hither  at 
this  time,  perched  on  trees,  or  walking  along  with 
slow,  rhythmic  step,  bide  their  time  for  the  share 
of  the  feast.  It  is  droll  to  watch  these  birds,  as  now 
they  half  fly,  half  hop  along,  cawing  meanwhile 
with  their  disgusting  chein-chem,  then  soaring  aloft 
above  the  stone  throws  of  some  naked  little  caboclo. 

If  here  vegetable  life,  confined  to  a  few  species 
(which,  however,  flourish  with  rare  luxuriance),  lacks 
the  forest  opulence  of  lands  not  subjected  to  river 
inundation,  animal  life,  however  dependent  upon 
the  individuality  of  terra  firma,  teems  with  mag 
nificent  prodigality.  In  the  midst  of  canarana1 
are  thousands  of  birds,  which  fly  rapidly  away  at 
the  approach  of  footsteps.  There  are  the  pias- 
sdcas  of  earthen  color;  the  slender  grass-birds,  of 

1  Wild  grass  as  high  as  the  sugar-cane. 


28  IN  AMAZON  LAND. 

seven  colors ;  overhead  soar  aloft  flocks  of  snow- 
white  egrets ;  joining  together  at  times  in  flocks 
of  hundreds  to  make  their  tinguijadas,  or  fishing 
parties,  to  some  far-distant  stream. 

There  are  ugly  yellow  arapapas,  with  their  enor 
mous  concave  beaks,  larger  than  their  heads  ;  deadly 
serpents  coiled  together  in  immense  masses ;  green 
clouds  of  parrots ;  japins  with  their  long  nests  hang 
ing  from  the  silk-cotton  trees,  not  unlike  rows  of 
brown  Christmas  stockings.  There  is  the  ugly  cara- 
chui,  in  ugliness  and  song  unrivalled  ;  the  saracuru, 
whose  strange  notes  startle  the  unaccustomed  ear, 
and  the  native  canary,  not  unlike  a  golden  humming 
bird. 

At  dawn  of  day  the  fishermen  set  out  in  their 
canoes,  and  the  lakes  present  a  lively  appearancfc. 
In  the  prows  can  be  seen  men  attired  only  in  trousers 
dyed  in  moruchy,  consequently  the  copper  color  of 
their  own  skin.  By  the  side,  ready  to  plunge  into 
the  flesh  of  the  great  pirarucii  as  it  unwarily  floats 
by,  rests  his  harpoon.  At  this  time  not  only  does 
this  fish  abound  in  the  lakes,  but  an  infinite  variety 
of  others,  for  which  the  Indian,  with  his  quick  eye, 
awaits  with  half-stretched  bow  and  arrow.  Espe 
cially  animated  was  the  fishing  season  this  year. 
Espirito  quickly  put  together  his  hut,  in  whose 
construction,  be  it  noted,  not  a  single  nail  figured, 
strong  cipos  serving  the  purpose. 


CHAPTER  III. 

TRY  as  she  might,  Rosa  could  not  forget  Antonio. 
He  was  always  present  to  her  imagination,  yet  she 
was  now  convinced  that  he  intended  to  deceive  her. 
And  fear  took  a  thousand  dark-hued  shapes. 

One  morning,  as  she  sat  on  the  trunk  of  a  mon- 
gubeira  tree,  ihejapins  twittering  overhead,  a  canoe 
passed  by  which  was  presently  moored  near  her 
father's  hut.  In  the  prow  was  a  young  fellow  dressed 
in  foreign-looking  clothes,  and  wearing  a  straw  hat 
of  a  foreign  manufacture.  It  caused  Rosa  an  inex 
plicable  shock,  the  first  sight  of  that  figure.  Yes, 
there  was  Antonio.  He  jumped  ashore,  and  stood 
only  a  few  steps  from  her,  bowing  and  smiling.  The 
color  rose  to  her  pale  cheeks,  while  her  heart  beat 
fiercely  within.  She  had  not  the  strength  to  fly. 
He  pressed  her  hand  tenderly  as  he  whispered  :  "  I 
have  come  on  your  account — ungrateful  one  !  "  At 
that  moment  the  father,  who  had  not  gone  that  day 
to  the  lakes,  called  out :  "  Ola,  is  that  you,  Antonio  ? 
Then  you  have  come  to  the  fisheries?  Rather  late, 
though.  What 's  the  news  in  the  town  ?  They  say 
that  Pacheco  has  been  condemned. — How  is  my 
compadre,  the  captain  ? — Nothing  new  from  Para  ? 
— Then  we  have  won  the  election,  eh  ?  " 

The  young  man  replied  to  these  and  other  ques- 
29 


3O  IN  AMAZON  LAND. 

tions  as  best  he  could,  finally  accepting  an  invitation 
to  breakfast  at  Espirito's  house.  Antonio  equivo 
cated  when  he  told  Rosa  that  it  was  for  her  sake  he 
had  come.  In  truth,  he  had  no  longer  any  affection 
for  the  girl.  Satiety  had  brought  weariness — the 
death  of  love.  When  the  family  had  left  Obidos, 
his  strongest  sensation  had  been  one  of  relief.  He 
did  n't  wish  to  marry  any  one  yet,  certainly  not 
Rosa. 

He  had  been  surprised  by  an  order  from  his 
patron  to  prepare  for  the  lakes.  Besides  the  pur 
chase  of  fish,  he  wished  him  to  collect  some  out 
standing  debts.  For  this  he  was  given  a  canoe, 
money,  and  provisions.  At  first  he  had  wished  to 
excuse  himself,  but  according  to  the  terms  of  his 
contract  could  not  well  do  so.  And,  then,  what 
had  he  to  fear  from  Rosa,  or  her  poor  devil  of  a 
father,  against  whom  he  had  a  strong  weapon,  the 
recovery  of  a  debt  of  3OO$ooo.  And  so  he  had 
greeted  Rosa  smilingly  with  a  lie  on  his  lips.  De 
spite  her  paleness  she  had  changed  into  a  more 
voluptuous  beauty,  and  he  smiled  to  himself  at  the 
thought  of  renewing  their  old  relations.  They  would 
last,  he  said  to  himself,  well — as  long  as  the  fishing 
season,  perhaps  longer.  But  Rosa  had  strangely 
changed  of  late  in  her  feelings  towards  him,  and  his 
declarations  now  fell  on  wearily  indifferent  ears. 
This  unexpected  resistance,  while  it  exasperated 
Antonio,  rekindled  his  old  passion,  and  he  resolved 
to  again  engage  in  his  favor  the  mae-tapuia.  He 
complained  bitterly  to  her  that  she  was  an  ungrate 
ful  girl ;  that  at  much  personal  inconvenience  he  had 


A    TALE   OF   THE    GREAT  RIVER.  31 

arranged  this  voyage  to  gain  something,  the  sooner 
to  establish  himself,  and  to  marry  her. 

The  tafiuia,  whom  a  cup  of  native  rum  had  con 
siderably  softened,  assured  him  that  he  was  mistaken, 
that  her  foster-child  cared  for  no  other,  and  that  he 
could  count  on  her. 

"  Does  she  never  speak  of  me,  Aunt  Thomasia?" 
asked  Antonio. 

"  Never,"  she  replied,  "but  what  of  that?  And 
she  is  ill ;  one  night  I  had  a  bad  dream  about  her" 
; — and  with  a  sudden  suspicion — "  I  was  even  capa 
ble  of  thinking  you  had  done  her  some  harm,  Sr. 
Antonio." 

• 

"  I,  Aunt  Thomasia?  Por  Deos,  no  ! — But  listen. 
You  speak  to  her  of  me.  See  that  she  comes  here 
tQ-day,  under  this  sumatimeira  tree.  I  want  to  ar 
range  our  marriage,  you  know.  I  have  much  to 
talk  over  with  her.  After  mid-day,  then,  when 
Dona  Felica  is  sleeping. — Yes, — here,  take  this  price 
of  chita  [calico]." 

The  mae-tapuia  returned  home  with  the  price  of 
calico,  and  after  putting  it  away  in  a  balai  (coarse 
basket),  which  served  as  a  trunk,  went  to  look  for 
Rosa,  who  was  idly  swinging  in  her  hammock.  Sit 
ting  on  the  tupi  mat  beside  her,  she  related  what 
Antonio  had  said. 

"  Heaven  deliver  me  from  him  !  "  exclaimed  Rosa 
irritably. 

"  Why,  child  ?  He  is  a  bom  sujeito  [good  fellow], 
and  cares  much  for  you." 

"  He  does  not.     He  is  very  wicked  !  " 

Was  it  from  despair,  was  it  from  the  old  childish 


32  IN  AMAZON  LAND. 

instinct  that  the  mae-tapuia  could  help  her, — be  it 
as  it  be, — Rosa,  bursting  into  a  flood  of  tears,  told 
her  all. 

The  mae-tapuia  did  everything  in  her  power  to 
soothe  the  agitated  girl,  and  at  once  instinctively 
formed  her  plans.  Remorse  found  little  place  in  her 
bosom,  and  in  reality,  outside  of  her  petty  venality, 
she  had  wished  only  to  do  the  young  people  a 
service.  Rosa  she  had  nursed  at  her  breast  and 
loved  as  her  own  child.  And  if,  as  she  affirmed, 
Antonio  really  cared  nothing  more  for  her,  and 
would  never  marry  her. — Ai — the  only  thing  that  re 
mained  was — well — one  of  those  thousand  pussan- 
gos — potions  in  vogue  in  the  country.  No  one  knew 
more  of  these  potions  than  did  she,  thank  Heaven  ! 
But  one  difficulty  remained.  In  the  meadows  about 
grew  none  of  these  herbs,  only  in  the  terra  firma. 
This  would  not  baffle  her.  No  !  There  was  her  son, 
Rosa's  foster-brother,  he  should  go  to  the  trombetas 
for  them.  All  settled,  she  comforted  Rosa  as  best 
she  could,  enjoining  on  her  to  not  lose  hope — she 
would  arrange  all. 

Only  two  days  after  was  Thomasia  able  to  speak 
with  Antonio,  and  then  she  besought  him,  with  more 
feeling  than  one  who  knew  her  would  suppose  her 
capable  of  showing,  to  repair  the  wrong  he  had  done 
Rosa  by  marrying.  To  his  villainous  words  in  reply 
she  listened  as  if  turned  to  stone,  but  finally  rising, 
half  strangled  with  fury,  furious  as  a  wounded  tiger 
of  the  outer  forest,  she  hurled  at  him  the  curse  of 
her  race. 


A   TALE   OF   THE   GREAT  RIVER.  33 

That  same  day  the  mae-tapuia  entered  Rosa's 
room,  carrying;  in  her  hand  a  black,  glossy  gourd, 
from  which  the  girl  uncomplainingly  drank.  She  did 
not  lament,  nor  complain,  neither  for  her  fault  in  it 
self  did  she  feel  any  compunction.  Of  late  she  had 
been  dully  thinking  of  Obidos,  of  her  schoolmates, 
of  the  old  gossips, — they  would  point  their  fingers 
at  her,  if  they  knew.  And  these  things  spread 
about  quickly  in  small  places.  She  now  feared  every 
thing  ;  if  a  visitor  appeared,  she  was  found  seated 
silently  at  her  work  at  lace-cushion.  £he  shuddered 
when  she  remembered  her  father  ;  perhaps  he  would 
beat  her,  and  the  idea  caused  her  to  turn  faint  and 
giddy.  Later  she  fell  into  an  apathy,  scarcely  fear 
ing  even  her  father's  wrath. 

•  Some  two  weeks  after  Thomasia's  interview  with 
Antonio,  the  latter  knocked  at  the  door  of  the  hut. 
It  was  Sunday,  and  all  were  within.  "  Entre  com 
Deos"  (Enter  with  God),  called  out  Espirito  in 
answer  to  the  knock.  Antonio  came  in,  giving  all  as 
usual  the  time  of  day.  He  quickly  saw  that  nothing 
unusual  had  occurred  within.  He  had  come,  he 
told  Espirito,  on  a  business  advantageous  to  them 
both.  He  knew  that  he  had  some  thirty  arrobas  of 
fish  to  sell,  and  he  would  like  to  buy  it.  Others 
paid  in  goods,  he  would  pay  in  cash.  He  would 
give  something  over  four  milreis.for  each  arroba. 
The  money  was  ready  in  his  canoe. 

"  Too  little,"  replied  Espirito,  "  I  have  been  offered 
five  milreis  an  arroba." 

"  Who  offered  it  ?  " 

"  Joao  Periquito." 


34  IN  AMAZON  LAND. 

"  That  I  doubt.  In  goods  perhaps,  but  not  in 
money." 

"  Well,  decide  at  once,  prcgai  ou  largai  [let  or 
leave  it].  Sr.  Antonio,  you  must  give  me  five 
milreis." 

"  Safa,  but  you  are  mean." 

"  Fish  in  Para  is  dear,  ten  milreis  an  arro&a,  they 
say." 

"  Lies,  my  friend,  all  lies,  it  is  not  so  dear." 

"  And  you  know,  with  freight  duties,  and  what 
not,  scarcely  a  percentage  can  be  made,"  replied  the 
clerk,  in  that  droning,  complaining  voice  he  had 
learned  from  the  traders.  Silence  succeeded. 

During  this  dialogue  Rosa  had  not  once  glanced 
towards  the  young  man.  It  was  mid-day,  the  hour 
of  dinner.  The  little  negress,  Camilla,  with  wham 
we  are  acquainted,  entered  the  room,  and  over  the 
straw  mat,  extended  between  the  hammocks  of 
Espirito  and  his  wife,  spread  a  small,  coarse  cotton 
cloth. 

This  was  a  Sunday  luxury  ;  on  working  days  the 
family  ate  from  the  mat,  on  the  floor  itself.  The 
cloth,  with  its  blue  earthenware,  horn-handled  knives 
and  forks,  and  its  leaden  spoons,  was  laid.  Two 
calabashes  for  each  plate  served,  the  one  for  water, 
the  other  for  parched  farinha. 

Antonio,  watching  these  preparations,  was  about 
to  leave,  saying :  "  Well,  will  you  let  me  have  the  fish  ? 
If  so,  I  will  send  the  man  for  it.  Adeos" 

"  Don't  go  yet.  Afterwards  we  will  talk  of  busi 
ness.  Stay  and  eat." 

Antonio    consented,    with     the     condition    that 


A   TALE   OF   THE   GREAT  RIVER.  35 

Espirito  would  not  refuse  a  flask  of  wine  which  he 
had  in  his  canoe,  and  for  which  he  asked  leave  to 
send  the  little  negress.  Duly  arriving,  they  seated 
themselves  at  dinner,  which  was  composed  wholly  of 
fish.  Antonio  sat  at  Rosa's  side,  and  moved  by  a 
sudden  impulse  to  hear  her  speak,  offered  her  some 
wine,  which  she  brusquely  refused  and  shortly  after 
left  the  room.  Espirito,  however,  did  not  refuse  the 
wine,  and  at  the  close  of  dinner  his  eyes  had  grown 
alarmingly  small,  and  his  speech  heavy  and  slow. 
Now  this  was  a  propitious  moment  for  Antonio  to 
speak  of  the  purchase  of  fish.  He  would  n't  let  it 
pass,  and  talked  as  before,  perhaps  with  more 
warmth.  Espirito,  half  tipsy,  finally  consented  to 
the  other's  bargains.  Under  the  influence  of  the 
wine  he  had  become  tender,  even  obsequious.  He 
would  not  hear  of  Antonio's  going  away.  It  was 
Sunday.  Nothing  was  doing.  There  was  a  ham 
mock  stretched  out  by  his  own.  He  must  have  a 
siesta,  and  overcome  by  heat  and  a  good  dinner, 
both  speedily  fell  into  a  heavy  sleep,  as  did  the  good 
D.  Felica. 

And  without,  nature  slept,  the  silent  sleep  of  a 
midday  under  the  equator. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

QUITE  an  animated  crowd  that  afternoon  had 
assembled  in  front  of  Espirito's  hut,  near  which  he 
stood  with  his  family  and  Antonio.  Some  were 
standing,  others  were  seated  on  rough  wooden 
benches,  or  the  outspreading  roots  of  the  great 
sumaiimeira  by  the  bank.  The  stream  was  nearly 
deserted.  Perhaps  it  was  owing  to  this  fact 
that,  for  the  last  quarter  of  an  hour,  an  enormous 
pirarucii  had  been  sporting  in  the  waters,  sending 
them  up  in  clouds  of  crested  foam. 

"  Ah !  my  fine  fellow,"  said  a  half-Indian,  squat 
ting  on  the  ground  not  far  from  Antonio,  "  you  see 
that  nobody  is  about,  and  that  is  why  you  are  so 
sportive.  Just  wait  a  bit,  till  I  set  out  with  my 
harpoon." 

"  In  truth,"  said  another  fisherman,  "  he  seems 
disposed  to  have  a  tussle  with  somebody." 

"  He  is  large,  the  bicho  "  (animal),  observed  a  third. 

"Yes,  he  would  weigh  at  least  three  arrobas" 
(arroba,  32  Ibs.),  said  another,  practised  in  the  art 
of  calculating  weight  at  sight. 

"  How  he  beats  about,  just  to  taunt  the  alligators," 
remarked  another,  of  which  some  half-dozen  were 
in  sight. 

"  I  have  a  great  mind,"  said  Antonio,  "  to  harpoon 
that  fish." 

36 


A   TALE   OF  THE   GREAT  RIVER,  37 

"You,  Sr.  Antonio,"  challenged  the  tapuio  who 
had  spoken  first.  "  That  bicho  is  not  for  you,  meo 
branco  "  (my  white  man). 

"  Why  not  ?  "  asked  Antonio,  somewhat  nettled 
in  his  self-love.  "  It  would  n't  be  the  first  I  Ve 
caught.  Three  days  ago,  ask  Joao  Domingos,  I 
harpooned  one  in  Bouic.ro." 

"  That  may  be,  meo  branco,  in  the  day  of  the 
uaiva,  when  fish  are  tonto  [giddy],  but  not  in  this 
time  of  the  moon." 

"  Go  to  the  devil,"  was  the  angry  response. 

"  I  will  wager  two  pirarucus  against  a  demijohn 
of  cacha^a  [rum],  that  you  can't  get  that  pirarucu" 
insisted  the  tapuio,  and  he  laughed  again  that 
peculiar,  indigenous  laugh,  showing  in  full  the  red 
gums  and  the  white  pointed  teeth.  He  was  joined  in 
this  by  his  companions,  which  irritated  Antonio  still 
more,  and  he  was  about  to  retaliate,  when  turning 
round  he  caught  Rosa's  glance  of  quiet  scorn.  White 
with  rage,  "  Pedro,"  he  called  out  to  a  native,  "  lend 
me  your  canoe.  I  will  see  whether  or  not  I  can 
bring  that  bicho  to  shore."  The  tapuio  consenting, 
he  proceeded  forthwith  to  unfasten  the  canoe. 

"  Don't  be  foolish,  Antonio ;  you  will  lose  that 
flask  of  cachaca"  observed  Espirito,  seriously. 

"  That  's  none  of  your  business,"  replied  Antonio, 
jumping  into  the  canoe.  This  was  in  length  little 
more  than  twelve  feet.  Squatting  in  the  prow  he 
rowed  quickly  away. 

The  pirarucu  was  now  only  a  few  yards  from  his 
right,  and  with  two  vigorous  strokes  he  had  gained 
on  it  sufficiently  to  be  out  of  the  reach  of  its  first 


38  Iff  AMAZON  LAND. 

leap.  With  one  foot  firmly  placed  before  the  other, 
eyes  fixed,  harpoon  in  right  hand  (in  all  trying  to  imi 
tate  the  native),  he  stood  ready.  On  shore  the  group 
watched  silently.  Occasionally  a  rapid  observation, 
favorable  or  otherwise,  was  hazarded,  as  to  the  young 
man's  manoeuvres.  Some,  among  others  was  Rosa, 
had  risen  to  their  feet.  Suddenly,  from  each  breast 
burst  forth  a  loud  cry.  Two  or  three  men  sprang 
into  one  of  the  lightest  boats  and  set  out  rapidly. 
That  had  been  an  anxious  moment,  in  which  Antonio 
awaited  the  piraruaL  Concentrating  all  his  strength, 
he  had  thrown  the  harpoon,  but  in  the  narrow  prow 
lost  his  balance  and  fell  overboard.  In,  his  first 
plunge  he  had  failed  to  grasp  the  canoe,  which  had 
indeed  been  driven  outward  by  the  force  of  the  fall. 
He  was  a  poor  swimmer,  and  besides,  the  weight  of 
clothes,  which  never  hampered  the  native,  pulled  him 
under.  Half  strangled  with  the  water  in  his  throat, 
he  called  for  help.  A  monstrous  alligator,  its  black 
back  and  extended  jaws  plainly  visible,  glided  in  his 
wake.  ...  A  blood-curdling  cry  rent  the  air.  Canoes, 
rowed  by  Indian  arms,  shot  forward  with  the  velocity 
of  arrows.  Too  late  !  The  enormous  amphiboid — 
eighteen  feet  in  length — had  already  seized  Antonio 
by  the  arm,  and  was  swinging  him  round  with  the 
velocity  of  a  wind-mill.  Blood  dyed  the  water  in 
great  circles  round.  And  at  sight  of  this  the  terrible 
piranhas,  with  their  razor-edged  teeth,  famished, 
blood-thirsty  little  creatures,  by  thousands — yes, 
millions — swarmed  over,  under,  about  that  mutilated 
body  in  frightful  warfare  with  the  alligators  and  one 
another. 


A   TALE   OF   THE   GREAT  RIVER.  39 

Canoes  that  came  to  the  rescue  slowly  returned. 
When  told  the  particulars,  Espirito  with  the  instinc 
tive  hatred  of  the  conquered  for  the  conqueror,  as 
instinctively  exclaimed  :  "  Why  did  this  devil  of  a 
Portuguese,  then,  meddle  in  what  he  did  n't  under 
stand  ?  "  And  this  was  Antonio's  funeral  oration. 
At  the  moment  the  alligator  had  snatched  off 
Antonio's  arm,  Rosa,  who  had  stood  as  if  petrified 
with  one  cry,  fell  down  in  a  dead  faint.  Her  mother 
and  Thomasia  carried  her  to  the  hut  and  laid  her  in 
her  hammock.  The  faint  lasted  long  in  spite  of 
much  vinegar,  burnt  cloths,  and  other  remedies  in 
vogue.,  Then  a  fever  set  in,  and  a  prostration  that 
lasted  the  night  long. 


CHAPTER  V. 

ROSA  lay  white,  immovable,  like  one  dead.  D. 
Felica's  face  wore  a  startled,  idiotic  expression,  as  if 
in  the  presence  of  some  great  mystery.  She  was 
sitting  on  the  straw  mat  by  her  daughter's  hammock, 
and  every  now  and  then  repeated  in  agitated  tones : 
"  Commadre,  commadre,  what  then  is  this  ?  "  Aunt 
Thomasia,  whom  she  addressed,  did  not  at  once 
reply.  She  was  busily  arranging  this,  putting  that 
in  order.  Finally  she  replied :  "  Quiet,  Sra,  Com- 
madre,  quiet.  I  don't  know  what  I  think.  I 
believe  it  is  the  work  of  the  boto*  Don't  you  re 
member  what  happened  that  night  in  the  quintal  at 
Obidos?  What  you  told  me?  That  form  which 
rose  to  the  clouds  when  the  matin-tapereira  cried  ? 
And  after  that  night  Nha  Rosa  went  about  as  dis 
consolate  as  a  tortoise  without  a  mate.  Don't  you 
remember  ?  And  her  appetite,  too,  fell  away.'  She 
was  always  near  the  river,  under  the  sumafimeira. 
I  went  there,  and,  to  be  sure,  saw  nothing,  but  I  think 
the  boto  called  her  thither.  That  fish  has  the  cun 
ning  of  the  Evil  One.  It  was  he  who  brought  evil 
on  Lopes'  wife,  when  her  husband  went  to  Para. 
And  poor  Lol6,  whom  he  carried  away,  as  she  slept 
by  the  river,  and  who  has  never  been  heard  of  to  this 

1  The  fish  before  referred  to,  which  at  times  takes  the  form  of  a 
seductive  young  man. 

40 


A   TALE   OF    THE   GREAT  RIVER.  41 

day.  And  in  that  spot  one  can  hear  the  mournful 
song.  He  is  always  on  that  river — the  other  day  I 
saw  two  botos,  sporting  one  with  the  other,  the  evil 
creatures.  For  me  it  is  the  boto,  commadrc"  con 
cluded  Thomasia,  who,  during  this  discourse,  had  also 
seated  herself  on  the  mat,  and  spoke  low  in  order  not 
to  awaken  Rosa,  or  that  she  might  not  hear. 

D.  Felica  listened  without  interrupting  the  tapuia 
— listened  incredulously,  resignedly.  She  believed 
the  boto  quite  capable  of  doing  this  evil  deed.  Many 
times  she  had  listened  to  similar  tales.  She  remem 
bered  that  night  in  the  quintal.  Then  that  bird  was 
watching  and  had  given  the  signal,  and  the  boto  had 
ascended.  In  her  daughter's  life  which  she  passed 
in  review,  nothing  occurred  to  arouse  suspicions. 
Yet,  as  her  faith  was  not  a  living  one,  rather  a  linger 
ing  belief,  she  could  not  root  out  a  certain  fear  or 
distrust.  Rosa  awoke,  turned  in  her  hammock, 
looking  confusedly  about  as  if  in  search  of  some 
thing,  and  again  fell  into  a  deep  lethargy.  D.  Felica 
resolved  to  have  her  daughter  blessed.  Thomasia 
knew  of  an  old  sorceress,  or  dispeller  of  evil  spirits, 
who  enjoyed  great  fame  in  this  respect,  and  went  in 
search  of  her.  The  sorceress  was  of  the  same  opin 
ion  as  the  mae-tapuia.  She  blessed  the  girl,  making 
the  sign  of  the  cross  over  different  parts  of  her  body, 
and  murmuring  low,  incoherent  phrases,  finally  ex 
pelling  the  boto  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  etc.  The 
next  day  Rosa  was  better,  and  D.  Felica,  placing  a 
candle  in  her  hand,  made  her  repeat  a  prayer  on  her 
rosary  before  the  image  of  N.  S.  das  Dores  (Lady  of 
Pain),  which  image  she  always  carried  with  her  in 


42  IN  AMAZON  LAND. 


her  trunk,  the  cover  of  which  served  as  an  altar  for 
the  devotion.  From  this  time  Rosa  commenced  to 
grow  thin  and  pale,  in  fact,  became  almost  ugly.  She 
went  about  with  the  air  of  one  in  disgrace.  Her 
father  noticed  the  change  and  questioned  the  mother 
as  to  the  cause.  "  It  was  the  boto"  replied  D.  Felica 
without  entering  upon  a  description  of  the  habits  of 
this  extraordinary  creature.  Espirito,  just  then  very 
busy  with  the  municipal  elections  in  which  he  finally 
gained  a  more  important  position,  paid  little  atten 
tion  to  the  subject.  In  Obidos,  where  soon  after 
the  catastrophe  the  family  returned,  not  all  were 
ready  to  credit  the  miraculous  version  which,  not 
withstanding  the  watchfulness  of  the  mae-tapuia, 
somehow  had  crept  out.  Especially,  Sundays  at 
Mass,  the  young  men  who  watched  Rosa  curiously 
as  she  entered  the  church  interchanged  malicious 
glances  and  smiles. 


AMAZONIAN  LEGENDS. 

COMPILED  BY  PROF.  HART. 
HOW   THE   TORTOISE   OUTRAN  THE  DEER. 

A  JABUTI  met  a  deer  and  asked :  "  O  deer,  what 
are  you  seeking?  " 

The  deer  answered :  "  I  am  out  for  a  walk,  to  see 
if  I  cannot  find  something  to  eat.  And,  pray,  where 
are  you  going,  tortoise  ?  " 

"I  am  also  out  walking;  I  am  looking  for  water 
to  drink." 

"  And  when  do  you  expect  to  reach  the  water  ?  " 
demanded  the  deer. 

"Why  do  you  ask  that  question?"  returned  the 
tortoise ;  "  I  can  run  faster  than  you  can.  If  you 
are  long-legged  you  cannot  run  as  fast  as  I." 

"  Then  let  us  run  a  race,"  said  the  deef. 

"Well,"  answered  the  tortoise,  "when  shall  we 
run  ?  " 

"  To-morrow." 

"At  what  time?" 

"  Very  early  in  the  morning." 

"  Eng-eng"  (yes),  assented  the  tortoise,  who  then 
went  into  the  forest  and  called  together  his  relations, 
the  other  tortoises,  saying :  "  Come,  let  us  kill  the 
deer." 

"  But  how  are  you  going  to  kill  him  ?  "  inquired 
they. 

43 


44  /-^  AMAZON  LAND. 

"  I  said  to  the  deer,"  answered  the  tortoise,  "  let  us 
run  a  race.  I  want  to  see  who  can  run  the  fastest." 
Now,  I  am  going  to  cheat  that  deer.  Do  you  scat 
ter  yourselves  along  the  edge  of  the  campo  in  the 
forest,  keeping  not  very  far  from  one  another,  and 
see  that  you  keep  perfectly  still,  each  in  his  place ! 
To-morrow,  when  we  begin  the  race,  the  deer  will 
run  in  the  campo,  but  I  will  remain  quietly  in  my 
place.  When  he  calls  out  to  me,  if  you  are  ahead 
of  him,  answer,  but  take  care  not  to  respond  if  he 
has  passed  you."  So,  early  the  next  morning,  the 
deer  went  out  to  meet  the  tortoise. 

"  Come,"  said  the  former,  "  let  us  run." 

"  Wait  a  bit,"  said  the  tortoise,  "  I  am  going  to 
run  in  the  woods." 

"  And  how  are  you,  a  little,  short-legged  fellow, 
going  to  run  in  the  forest?  "  asked  the  deer,  sur 
prised. 

Ihejabuti  (tortoise)  insisted  that  he  could  not  run 
in  the  campo,  but  that  he  was  accustomed  to  run  in 
the  forest.  So  the  deer  assented,  and  the  tortoise 
entered  the  wood,  saying :  "  When  I  take  my  posi 
tion  I  will  make  a  noise  with  a  little  stick,  so  that 
you  may  know  I  am  ready." 

When  the  tortoise,  having  reached  his  place,  gave 
the  signal,  the  deer  started  off  leisurely,  laughing  to 
himself,  and  not  thinking  it  worth  his  while  to  run. 

The  tortoise  remained  quietly  behind.  After  the 
deer  had  walked  a  little  distance,  he  turned  round 
and  called  out:  "  Wi  yanti"  (Hullo,  tortoise!). 
"  Well,"  said  the  deer  to  himself,  "  that  jabuti  does 
run  fast !  "  Whereupon  he  walked  briskly  for  a  little 


AMAZONIAN  LEGENDS.  45 

distance,  then  cried  out  again,  but  the  voice  of  a  tor 
toise  still  responded  far  in  advance. 

"  How  's  this  ?  "  exclaimed  the  deer,  and  he  ran  a 
little  way,  until,  thinking  that  he  surely  must  have 
passed  the  tortoise,  he  turned  about,  and  called 
again,  but  "  U'i  suasa  ! ""  came  from  the  edge  of  the 
forest  just  ahead. 

Then  the  deer  began  to  be  alarmed,  and  ran 
swiftly,  until  he  was  sure  that  he  had  passed  the 
tortoise,  when  he  stopped,  and  called  ;  but  a  jabuti 
still  answered  in  advance.  On  this,  the  deer  set  off 
at  full  speed,  and  after  a  little  without  stopping, 
called  to  the  tortoise,  who  still,  from  ahead,  cried, 
"  U'i  suasa  !  "  He  then  redoubled  his  forces,  but 
with  no  better  success,  and  at  last,  tired,  bewildered, 
he  ran  against  a  tree,  and  fell  dead.  The  noise  made 
by  the  feet  of  the  deer  having  ceased,  the  first  tor 
toise  listened.  Not  a  sound  was  heard.  Then  he 
called  to  the  deer,  but  received  no  response.  So  he 
went  out  of  the  forest,  and  found  the  deer  lying 
dead.  Then  he  gathered  together  all  his  friends, 
and  rejoiced  over  the  victory. 

THE    CURUPIRA. 

(Curupira,  a  being  who  lives  in  the  forest,  and  leads  people  astray, 
that  he  may  destroy  them.) 

A  MAN  was  hunting  in  the  forest ;  led  astray  by 
one  of  these  beings,  he  lost  his  way,  and  at  night 
went  to  sleep  at  the  foot  of  a  tree.  The  curupira 
came  up  to  him,  and  beat  on  the  sapopema  of  the 
tree  ;  the  man  awoke. 


4.6  IN  AMAZON  LAND. 

"  What  are  you  doing  here,  brother?"  asked  the 
curupira. 

"  I  was  lost,  and  I  remained  here,"  answered  the 
man. 

"Then,"  said  the  curupira,  "give  me  a  piece  of 
your  heart  to  eat !  " 

Fortunately  the  man  had  killed  a  monkey  ;  with 
his  knife  he  opened  its  body,  and  cutting  out  a  piece 
of  the  heart,  he  gave  it  to  the  curupira  who  ate  it, 
supposing  it  to  be  the  man's  heart.  "  It  is  very 
sweet,"  said  the  curupira;  "give  me  the  whole!" 
And  the  man  gave  him  the  rest  of  the  monkey's 
heart.  Then  he  said :  "  Now,  you  must  give  me  a 
piece  of  your  heart."  The  curupira  thought  that  if 
the  man  could  cut  out  his  heart,  he  also  could  do 
the  same.  So  he  asked  the  hunter  to  give  him  his 
knife,  cut  open  his  own  body,  and  fell  dead.  The 
man,  free  from  his  enemy,  fled.  After  a  year  the 
hunter  remembered  that  the  curupiras  have  green 
teeth,  so  he  went  to  get  the  teeth  of  the  one  he  had 
killed,  to  make  a  string  of  beads.  He  found  the 
skeleton  at  the  foot  of  the  tree ;  taking  the  skull  in 
his  hand,  he  struck  one  of  the  teeth  with  his  hatchet, 
when,  to  his  amazement  and  fear,  the  curupira  stood 
alive  and  smiling  before  him. 

Thank  you,  brother,  for  having  awakened  me ! " 
said  the  apparition.  "  I  had  lain  down  a  moment  to 
sleep."  Then  he  gave  the  man  an  enchanted  arrow, 
saying  that  with  this  he  could  kill  any  game  ;  but  he 
charged  him  not  to  tell  any  one  from  whom  he  had 
received  it.  Heretofore  this  man  had  been  a  bad 
hunter ;  but  now  he  killed  much  game  every  day. 


AMAZONIAN  LEGENDS.  47 

His  wife,  noticing  this,  asked  him  how  he  had  be 
come  so  expert. 

The  husband  at  length  told  his  wife  all,  and  im 
mediately  fell  dead. 


STORY  OF  THE  JAGUAR  WHO  WANTED  TO  MARRY 

THE  DEER'S  DAUGHTER,  BUT  WAS  CUT 

OUT  BY  THE  COTIA. 

A  JAGUAR  had  a  mind  to  marry  ;  he  fell  in  love 
with  the  daughter  of  the  deer,  and  one  day  he  asked 
and  obtained  the  deer's  consent  to  the  match.  Now 
the  jaguar  had  a  friend,  the  cotia.  So  to  the  cotia's 
house  he  ran,  in  great  joy,  to  tell  the  news  and  boast 
of  his  good  luck.  "  See  how  fortunate  I  am  !  "  he 
cried.  "  I  am  going  to  marry  the  deer's  daughter,  the 
prettiest  girl  of  the  forest,  and  you,  my  friend,  shall 
attend  the  wedding !  " 

"  You  are  indeed  happy,"  responded  the  cotia. 
"  I  congratulate  you  !  "  But  in  his  heart  he  was  re 
solved  to  cut  the  jaguar  out.  So  when  the  jaguar 
was  gone,  he  ran  to  the  deer's  house,  and  asked  for 
his  daughter  in  marriage. 

"  I  would  be  very  happy  to  give  her  to  you,"  said 
the  deer,  "  but  she  is  already  engaged  to  the  jaguar, 
who  asked  her  of  me  but  now." 

"  Poh,  poh  !  "  exclaimed  the  cotia,  "  the  jaguar 
is  n't  good  enough  for  her ;  he  is  only  a  miserable 
old  dotard,  the  worst  beast  in  the  woods,  and  the 
weakest ;  why,  I  could  make  him  carry  me,  for  all 
he  is  so  big!  " 


48  IN  AMAZON  LAND. 

"  Say  you  so  ? "  exclaimed  the  deer.  "  Well, 
cotia,  if  you  can  make  the  jaguar  carry  you,  you 
shall  have  my  daughter."  So  the  cotia  went  away 
and  awaited  his  opportunity.  When  he  knew  that 
the  jaguar  was  going  to  the  deer's  house,  he  went 
and  lay  down  in  the  path  where  the  jaguar  must 
pass  ;  and  had  a  bandage  round  his  head,  and  he 
pretended  to  be  very  ill.  Presently  the  jaguar  came 
by,  and  saw  him. 

"  Hullo,  cotia,"  said  he,  "  what  are  you  doing 
there  ?  " 

"  I  am  lying  in  the  woods,"  said  the  cotia,  "  be 
cause  I  am  very  ill." 

"  I  am  going  to  see  my  betrothed,"  said  the 
jaguar  ;  "  get  up  and  come  along  with  me." 

"  Indeed,  I  would  like  to,"  sighed  the  cotia,  "  but, 
as  you  see,  I  am  quite  unable  to  walk." 

"  Well,"  said  the  jaguar,  "  if  you  will  come  with 
me  I  will  carry  you." 

"  Very  good,"  responded  the  cotia,  "  if  you  will 
carry  me  I  will  go."  So  the  jaguar  took  the  cotia 
on  his  back  and  walked  off  with  him. 

Presently  the  cotia  slipped  off  on  the  ground. 
"  Oh,  cotia,"  said  the  jaguar,  "  why  did  you  fall  off  ?  " 

"  I  fell  off,"  answered  the  cotia,  "  because  I  am  so 
•*  weak  that  I  can't  hold  on." 

"  Well,"  said  the  jaguar,  "  I  will  tie  you  on  with 
cipd"  So  the  jaguar  got  a  cipd  and  tied  the  cotia 
fast  to  his  back,  and  so  went  on.  Presently  the 
cotia  began  to  strike  the  jaguar  with  his  fore-feet." 

"  Hullo!"  exclaimed  the  jaguar,  "what  are  you 
striking  me  for  ?  " 


AMAZONIAN  LEGENDS.  49 

"  I  am  striking  you,"  said  the  cotia,  "  because  you 
have  n't  given  me  a  switch  ;  every  one  who  rides 
should  have  a  whip." 

The  jaguar,  willing  to  humor  his  friend,  gave 
him  a  switch  ;  he  used  this  very  gently  until  they 
neared  the  house  of  the  deer,  when  he  began  to  whip 
with  all  his  might.  The  jaguar,  mightily  enraged, 
tried  to  shake  him  off,  but  the  cipo  held  him  fast, 
and  together  they  ran  through  the  forest.  The 
cotia  waited  until  he  saw  a  hole ;  then  he  gnawed 
the  cipo,  and  slipped  off,  and  so  got  into  the  hole 
before  the  jaguar  could  seize  him. 

The  jaguar  watched  at  the  mouth  of  the  hole  for 
a  long  time,  but  at  length  he  became  very  tired  and 
thirsty,  so  he  said  to  an  owl :  "  O  owl,  will  you  watch 
this  hole  for  me  while  I  go  and  get  some  water  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  the  owl,  "  I  will  watch  it  for  you  and 
nothing  shall  escape." 

The  jaguar  went  off  to  drink,  and  the  owl  sat 
watching  the  hole.  Presently  the  cotia  peeped  out 
and  saw  the  two  great  eyes  staring  at  him  ;  he  threw 
a  handful  of  sand  into  the  owl's  face  and  blinded 
him,  and  while  the  latter  was  rubbing  his  eyes,  the 
cotia  got  out  of  the  hole  and  ran  away. 

Just  then  the  jaguar  came  back.  . "  O  owl !  "  said 
he,  "  where  is  the  cotia  ?  " 

"  Alas  !  "  answered  the  owl,  "  he  threw  sand  into 
my  eyes  and  blinded  me,  and  then  ran  away !  " 

After  that  the  jaguar  could  never  catch  the  cotia, 
and  the  mischief-maker  married  the  deer's  daughter, 
because  he  had  made  the  jaguar  carry  him,  as  he 
promised. 


50  IN  AMAZON  LAND. 

THE  BIRD  OF  THE  EVIL  EYE. 

FAR  away  in  the  thickest  forest  lives  the  tu- 
cano-yua,  Bird  of  the  Evil  Eye.  It  has  a  nest  in 
the  hollow  tree ;  from  a  crevice  under  the  branches 
it  surveys  the  ground  beneath  ;  if  any  animal  passes 
near,  the  bird  has  but  to  look  at  it,  and  the  evil  eye 
does  its  work.  All  around  the  ground  is  white  with 
bones.  The  bird  feeds  on  its  victims,  and  not  even 
the  strongest  can  escape  it. 

Long  ago  a  hunter,  straying  farther  than  was  his 
wont,  found  this  tree  with  the  bones  lying  white 
about  it.  As  he  looked,  he  saw  the  tucano-yiia 
peering  out,  but  the  bird  did  not  see  him,  and  ere  it 
could  turn  its  head,  the  hunter  shot  it,  and  it  fell  to 
the  ground.  The  man  approached  the  body  care 
fully,  walking  so  that  he  did  not  pass  before  the 
eyes;  then  with  his  knife  he  cut  off  the  bird's  head, 
wrapped  it  in  a  cloth,  and  put  it  into  his  hunting 
pouch.  Ever  after  that,  when  this  man  saw  a  deer 
or  paca  or  tapir,  he  held  the  tucano-yuas  head  so 
that  the  bill  was  pointed  towards  the  game,  which 
instantly  fell  dead.  But  he  took  care  never  to  turn 
the  bill  towards  himself. 

The  man's  wife  wondered  much  at  her  husband's 
^success  in  hunting;  she  questioned  him  often  to 
discover  the  reason  for  this  good  luck,  but  he 
answered  always :  "  This  is  no  business  of  yours  ;  a 
woman  cannot  know  of  these  things."  Still  she  was 
not  satisfied  ;  day  after  day  she  watched  her  husband 
stealthily.  And  once,  when  the  man  and  his  wife 
went  with  a  party  to  the  woods,  she  watched  more 


AMAZONIAN  LEGENDS.  51 

closely  ;  when  a  deer  or  cotia  passed  by,  she  saw  that 
her  husband  took  something  from  his  hunting-pouch 
and  held  it  toward  the  game,  which  instantly  fell 
dead.  The  woman's  curiosity  tempted  her  to  find 
what  this  strange  weapon  could  be.  It  chanced 
after  dinner  that  the  man  went  to  sleep  on  the 
ground.  The  woman  approached  him  softly,  opened 
his  hunting-pouch,  and  took  out  the  head  of  the 
tucano-yiia.  Turning  it  about,  she  tried  to  recall  her 
husband's  actions. 

"  He  held.it  so,"  she  said  to  herself,  "  with  the  bill 
turned  toward  the  game."  But  as  she^  spoke,  she 
had  carelessly  turned  the  head  against  her  husband's 
body,  and  in  an  instant  she  saw  that  he  was  dead. 
Overcome  with  fear  she  started  back ;  but  in  so  doing 
she  turned  the  deadly  beak  toward  herself,  and  she 
also  fell  dead. 


BE    CAREFUL    TO    WHOM    YOU    DO    GOOD     DEEDS. 

ONE  day  the  fox  was  taking  a  walk,  when  he 
heard  a  growl — ugh!  ugh!  ugh!  "What  is  that?" 
he  said  to  himself ;  "  I  will  go  and  see." 

The  jaguar  saw  him,  and  said  :  "  I  came  into  this 
hole  a  long  time  ago;  I  grew  large,  and  now  I  can'lf' 
get  out.  Will  you  help  me  to  roll  away  this  stone  ?  " 

The  fox  helped  him  ;  the  jaguar  got  out,  and  the 
fox  asked  :  "  What  will  you  pay  me   now  ?  "     The 
jaguar  was  very  hungry.     "  I  am  going  to  eat  you  ! ' 
And  he  caught  the  fox,  and  asked  :  "  How  is  a  good 
deed  paid  for?"     The  fox  answered  :"  Good  is  re- 


52  IN  AMAZON  LAND. 


paid  with  good.  Near  by  there  is  a  man  who  knows 
all  things  ;  let  us  go  and  ask  him."  They  crossed  to 
an  island  ;  the  fox  told  the  man  how  he  had  got  the 
jaguar  out  of  the  hole,  and  how  the  jaguar  in 
payment  wanted  to  eat  him. 

The  jaguar  said :  "  I  wanted  to  eat  him  because 
good  is  repaid  with  evil."  "  It  is  well ! "  said  the 
man  ;  "  let  us  go  and  see  the  hole."  So  they  went, 
all  three.  Arrived  there,  the  man  said  to  the  jaguar : 
"  Go  in  ;  I  want  to  see  how  you  lay." 

The  jaguar  went  in :  the  man  and  tlje  fox  rolled 
back  the  stone,  and  the  jaguar  was  a  prisoner  again. 
"Now,"  said  the  man,  "you  will  learn  that  good 
deeds  should  be  repaid  with  good  !  "  So  the  jaguar 
was  left,  and  the  others  went  away. 


AMAZONIAN  BELIEFS,  TRADITIONS,  AND 
SUPERSTITIONS. 

THE  Brazilian  savage,  be  he  of  the  great  family 
tupi-guarani,  be  he  of  the  Tapuio  race,  was,  in  mat 
ters  of  religion,  at  the  time  of  the  discovery  of  Brazil, 
in  the  fetish  period.  He  scarcely  even  possessed 
superstitions.  Myths,  following  the  careless  ex 
planation  of  natural  phenomena,  gave  rise  to  no 
other  belief  than  the  one  of  fear,  and  this  a  transitory 
sensation,  ceasing  when  the  cause  thereof  had  ceased. 

Similar  characteristics  may  be  observed  in  the 
Tapido,  the  Mameluco,  and  other  Amazonian  races 
of  the  present  day.  Their  religion  is  a  mixture  of 
fetichism  and  polytheism :  this,  received  from  the 
Portuguese  ;  that,  brought  down  from  the  savage. 
Catholics  they  are,  merely  in  name,  and  because 
such  they  have  been  baptized.  It  is  difficult  to  find 
among  them  one  individual  who  is  a  perfect  mono- 
theist.  The  savage  mind  cannot  grasp  the  elevated 
conception  of  Christian  monotheism.  If  it  has  been 
able  to  digest  anything  in  the  Catholic  faith,  it  is 
because  the  Jesuit  missionaries,  of  all  catechists  the 
shrewdest  and  most  able,  have,  in  a  manner,  adapted 
the  religion  to  the  savage  taste.  They  have  intro 
duced  into  their  worship  certain  indigenous  prac 
tices,  which  have  rendered  it  more  agreeable  to  the 
senses,  consequently  more  accessible  to  the  under- 

53 


54  IN  AMAZON  LAND. 

standing  ;  as,  for  instance,  the  creation  of  the  saire, 
later  on  to  be  noticed. 

These  clever  priests,  not  perhaps  so  well-inten 
tioned  as  many  other  less  successful  missionaries, 
have  comprehended  the  truth  first  established  by 
sociology,  that  no  single  man,  unprepared  by  natural 
evolution,  can  pass  from  fetichism  to  polytheism 
without  taking  along  with  him  something  of  the 
remnants  of  the  former  ;  that  on  this  account  one 
should  undoubtedly  make  before  the  savage  the 
same  momices  (grimaces)  as  did  the  heathen  pages,1 
as  well  as  to  conform,  to  a  certain  degree, 
to  their  understanding,  the  rules  and  discipline  of 
the  Church.  This,  then,  may  be  the  cause  of  their 
success,  which,  however,  is  somewhat  more  apparent 
than  real,  as  will  presently  be  shown. 

Of  the  pretended  tupis  gods,  none  except  the 
jurupari,  the  curupira,  and  the  matin-tap$re,  sur 
vive  in  the  imagination  of  these  people,  and  these 
are  mixed  up  with  Catholic  beliefs.  They  are  con 
sidered  an  ill-favored,  malignant  genii.  The  first 
takes  the  form  of  the  Catholic  devil ;  the  second  is 
variously  defined,  but  is  still  a  demon  ;  the  third  is 
a  species  of  hobgoblin,  who  has  only  one  leg,  and  is 
subjected  to  the  influence  of  a  horrible  old  woman, 
who,  at  night,  accompanies  him  from  door  to  door, 
begging  tobacco. 

1  In  order  that  the  sermons  preached  to  the  Indians  should  produce 
more  effect,  and  not  appear  less  inspired  or  persuasive  than  the  de 
moniacal  doctrines  preached  by  the  sorcerers  (pages),  they  endeavor  to 
imitate  their  uses,  making  occlusions  and  visions,  giving  now  and 
then  loud  cries,  stamping  the  foot,"  etc.,  etc. — History  of  Brazil, 
by  the  Viscount  of  Porto  Seguro. 


BELIEFS,   TRADITIONS,  SUPERSTITIONS.        55 

Outside  influence  or  superstition,  principally 
Portuguese,  has  placed  on  the  head  of  this  being  a 
bonnet,  or  cap,  confounding  him  with  the  trouble 
some  pesadelos  of  the  current  Indo-German  my 
thology  in  which  he  is  so  represented.  In  the 
nightly  strife,  who  manages  to  snatch  off  this  cap, 
will  attain  happiness. 

The  old  woman,  who  leads  him,  sings  to  the  rhythm 
of  a  bird,  and  this  song,  incomprehensible  in  itself, 
is  probably  the  remnant  of  some  myth.  It  is  as 
follows : 

Matinta  Pereira, 

Papa-terra  ja  morreu  ; 

Quern  te  governa,  sou  eu. 

(Father  Earth  has  died, 
Who  governs  you,  is  I.) 

The  Tupan,  Uaraci,  Jaci,  Cddpora,  have  died  out. 

The  famous  page  or  sorcerer,  the  medicine-man 
(both,  for  the  savage,  are  the  same),  and  the  sooth 
sayer  of  the  Tupi-guaranis,  survive  the  gods  of  whom 
they  desired  to  make  priests.  The  actual  pages  are 
generally  born  and  reared  far  in  the  interior,  sur 
rounded  by  forests  rich  in  medical  substances,  whose 
virtues,  partly  through  teaching,  partly  through  ex 
perience,  they  learned  to  know.  Aided  by  the  pro 
found  faith  of  their  sick-  people,  the  results  prove 
generally  favorable  ;  perhaps  faith  assists  the  cure. 
These  cures  are  generally  accompanied  by  Catholic 
rites ;  this  further  to  strengthen  belief  in  the  power 
of  these  pages. 

And  the  looker-on  in  the  exercise  of  these  medical- 
religious  functions  can  witness  dancing — such  dan- 


56  IN  AMAZON  LAND. 

cing  round  the  patient — to  the  sound  of  a  cymbal, 
while  mysterious  words,  that  are  to  save,  are 
murmured. 

In  more  civilized  centres,  like  Manaos  and  Para, 
the  sorcerers  dispense  with  these  ceremonials,  but 
surround  themselves  with  much  mystery.  In  Manaos, 
not  many  years  ago,  a  page  was  called  upon  to  treat 
a  patient,  but  refused  to  do  so,  except  at  night,  and 
with  closed  doors.  Besides,  ^Q  page  is  the  benzidera 
orblesser,  to  whom  reference  shortly  will  be  made. 

Knowing  little  or  nothing  of  the  solar  system, 
these  people  still  have  a  sort  of  astrological  belief, 
based  probably  on  the  direct  and  all-powerful  influ 
ence  of  the  moon  on  terrestrial  objects.  During  the 
eclipse  of  the  moon,  August  23,  1877,  the  people  of 
the  capital  of  Pard  made  an  enormous  uproar  with 
old  tins,  fireworks,  cries,  fire-engines,  and  even  gun 
shots,  to  put  to  flight,  as  they  expressed  it,  that  devil 
(bicho)  who  wished  to  eat  the  moon. 

The  boto  (Delphinus  pallidus),  the  Indian  uydra, 
occupies  a  large  space  in  the  imagination,  and  the 
Amazonian  region  is  filled  with  marvellous  histories 
of  this  animal.  The  bdto,  like  the  mermaid  of  old, 
sings,  and  its  song  is  full  of  enchanting  melody. 

Woe  to  the  maiden  who  lingers  in  its  spell !  The 
Indians  believe  that  at  times  this  fish  assumes  the 
form  of  a  youth,  who  carries  away  the  maiden  in  his 
arms,  and  to  this  fluvial  Don  Juan  is  attributed  cer 
tain  consequences  that  such  imprudence  would  entail. 
This  last  belief  must  have  sprung  from  a  woman's 
imagination, — a  woman  who  wished  to  conceal  a  fault 
that,  in  some  tribes,  is  still  terribly  punished.  Withal 


BELIEFS,   TRADITIONS,  SUPERSTITIONS.         57 

one  should  not  thoughtlessly  accuse  that  generation 
in  which  sprung  up  certain  beliefs  of  insincerity,  nor 
yet  the  present  one.  Be  it  as  it  be,  the  belief  in  the 
boto  firmly  exists.  Not  long  ago,  a  person,  in  the 
sincerest  good  faith,  told  of  a  boto  who,  assuming 
human  form,  carried  away  an  Indian  girl  from  her 
hammock,  who  from  that  time  had  never  been  seen. 

Other  versions  of  the  b6to  or  uydra  have  obtained 
credence.  He,  at  times,  jests  with  people,  bringing 
up  objects  from  the  depths  of  the  water  to  show 
them.  One  was  seen  with  a  knife  in  his  mouth, 
from  whence  brought  is  not  defined.  He  causes 
canoes,  in  which  are  young  girls,  to  be  wrecked  in 
order  to  possess  himself  of  them.  And,  at  times,  he 
assumes  a  woman's  form  and  casts  over  some  gallant 
youth  a  fatal  spell.  The  eyes  of  this  animal  are  con 
sidered  as  precious  amulets  to  soften  lovers'  hearts. 
The  teeth  are  excellent  preventives  against  infantile 
diseases. 

A  member  of  the  same  family,  the  tucuxy,  is  said 
to  be  a  great  friend  of  man,  whom  he  often  succours 
from  the  grasp  of  the  boto,  thrusting  him  along  by 
his  snout,  until  he  reaches  the  bank  of  the  stream  in 
safety. 

The  Amazonians  believe  in  cured  persons  (pessoas 
curadas),  i.  e.,  that  they  may  be  rendered  invulner 
able  to  the  bites  of  poisonous  snakes  and  fish.  The 
secret  of  this  cure  is  known  only  to  the  pages,  and 
by  them  has  never  been  disclosed. 

However,  a  popular  superstition  has  it  that  if  the 
head  or  tail— extremity  of  either — when  half  alive, 
be  eaten,  the  bite  from  its  species  is  rendered  harm- 


58  IN  AMAZON  LAND.      . 

less.  Quite  recently,  in  Santarem,  a  tapuio  killed  a 
small  snake,  eating  its  head  and  tail  nearly  raw. 

The  Amazonian  Indians  believe  that  a  snake  can 
seldom  miss  a  gun-shot,  and  also  in  the  metamor 
phosis  of  the  surucuai  (  Trigonocephalus  lanceolatus) 
into  the  paca  (Ccelogenus  fulvas).  The  surucucti, 
they  say,  is  a  heavy  sleeper,  and  of  this  fact  the 
pages  take  advantage  in  surrounding  him  with  a  sort 
of  hedge,  and  covering  him  with  ants  of  a  certain 
species,  thus  transforming  him  into  a  sleek  paca. 
The  fact  is,  that  the  surucucii  takes  shelter  in  these 
ants'  holes,  on  whom,  perhaps,  they  subsist,  and  in 
which  also  come  the  paca,  with  whom  it  is  known 
they  enter  into  a  sort  of  comradeship.1 

The  sucuriju  (Eunectes  murinies),  or  the  great 
snake,  is  also  the  object  of  a  superstitious  belief.  It 
is  said  he  appears  at  night  on  retired  lakes  or  streams, 
frightening  away  with  his  eyes  of  fire  (one  the  dis 
tance  of  a  foot  from  the  other)  the  boldest  fisherman. 

The  gun  with  which  an  urubu(  cathartics)  is  killed 
becomes  useless. 

The  possession  of  the  bird  called  uirapiini  is  con 
sidered  an  efficacious  talisman  against  ill-luck.  Until 
a  few  years  ago  it  was  rare  to  find  in  the  interior 
a  vcnda  (drinking-placc  and  grocery)  that  had  not 

1  In  1/49  Fonseca  writes  :  "A  fellow  passing  through  the  woods, 
wishing  to  secure  an  animal  somewhat  larger  than  the  rabbit,  called 
the/ara,  in  order  to  do  so  was  obliged  to  thrust  nearly  the  length  of 
his  arm  down  the  hole,  where  it  was  hidden.  lie  secured  it  at  the 
cost  of  having  his  first  finger  cracked  asunder  with  the  teeth  of  a 
venomous  snake,  called  the  siinifticii,  which  species  is  so  intimate 
with  the/aoz,  that  from  this  alliance  is  derived  the  Tapuian  fable 
that  these pacas  are  offspring  of  the  surucuciis." 


BELIEFS,  TRADITIONS,  SUPERSTITIONS.         59 

the  skeleton  interred  under  the  floor  nor  hanging 
from  the  wall.  It  is  difficult  to  take  this  bird  alive, 
consequently  its  value  is  very  great ;  a  dead  one 
costs  over  thirty  milreis. 

The  skin  of  the  nocturnal  bird,  jurutani,  preserves 
maidens  from  harm.1 

Formerly  these  birds  were  killed,  the  skins  re 
moved  and  dried  in  the  sun,  over  which,  during-  the 

O 

first  three  days  of  womanhood,  the  girls  were  obliged 
to  sit,  and  were  meanwhile  visited  by  the  matrons  of 
the  tribe,  who  enjoined  upon  them  virtue  and 
sobriety.  At  the  end  of  this  time  the  damsels  were 
supposed  to  be  curada,  i.  e.,  invulnerable  to  tempta 
tion.  To-day,  according  to  different  accounts,  it  is 
more  customary  to  sweep  the  floor  under  the  bride's 
hammock  with  the  feathers  of  the  jurutaiu,  which 
will  accomplish  the  same  end,  i.  t\,  tranquillity  of 
spirit,  and  will  guarantee  the  virtue  of  the  future 
wife. 

1  Herewith  is  a  description,  given  by  an  old  Brazilian  author,  of 
this  bird.  "Of  all  light-shunning  birds  this  is  the  least  timorous. 
He  is  long  and  slender,  and  of  a  brownish  color  .  .  .  his  cry 
is  shrill,  like  a  burst  of  mocking  laughter.  He  stretches  himself  out 
on  a  tree  as  if  part  of  it,  and  there  he  lies  motionless,  allowing  him 
self  to  be  taken  by  the  hand  at  will. 

"  Is  it  not  interesting  to  observe  the  correlation  existing  between 
the  complete  quiet  of  the  bird  and  the  peace  the  savage  mother  wishes 
to  invoke  for  her  daughter?  She,  too,  must  sit  motionless  over  its 
skin.  .  .  .  The  fact  of  correlation  of  beliefs  with  habits  or 
modes  of  the  object  which  gives  rise  to  such  beliefs  is  one  of  the  most 
fascinating  theories  of  mythology.  In  addition  to  what  has  been 
related  of  ihejurutam,  there  are  in  Amazon-land  many  other  birds 
which  are  invoked  for  tranquillizing  purposes,  among  others,  the 
quatipuni,  of  all  the  greatest  sleeper,  and  whom  nurses  call  to  their 
aid  when  children  refuse  to  fall  asleep." 


60  IN  AMAZON  LAND. 

Among  the  Amazonians  is  current  a  vague  belief 
that  the  monkey  was  once  a  man,  which,  without 
doubt,  is  a  lost  echo  of  a  tapuian  generical  belief. 
It  is  said  that  certain  individuals,  as  a  punishment 
for  treachery,  were  transformed  into  monkeys,  of 
whom  it  is  recorded  to  this  day  that  they  don't  talk 
because  they  can't  row.1 

Of  the  Indian  tribe,  Ugina,  it  is  said  the  men  have 
tails  of  two  or  three  feet  in  length  .  .  .  covered 
with  a  leather-colored  skin  without  hair. 

The  beliefs  which  have  for  their  objects  vegetables, 
are.  generally  those  whose  properties  are  medicinal. 
And  for  the  people  who  entertain  these  beliefs,  the 
great  Amazonian  forest  is  an  enormous  drug  store, 
in  which  can  be  found  remedies  for  all  "  ills  flesh  is 
heir  to."  Superstition,  of  course  follows  in  the  wake 
of  these  beliefs.  The  tajapurd  (aroidea),  placed  in 
the  prow  of  a  fishing  canoe,  will,  according  to  tradi 
tion,  ensure  its  owner  good-luck.  Another  aroidea, 
juruti-pepina,  serves  as  a  body  (corpo],  in  which  is 
sheltered  a  mythical  bird,  who  sings  near  one  with 
out  being  seen,  and  is  near  one  without  being  felt. 

One  can  see  the  plant,  with  its  beautiful  green 
leaves,  striped  red  and  white,  and  can  hear  the  bird- 
song,  but  can  never  discover  the  bird.  To  the  In 
dians  this  plant  is  an  object  of  great  terror,  so  much 
so  that  they  will  not  allow  it  to  be  spoken  of  with 
contempt.  And  he  whom  this  fabulous  plant  chooses 
as  the  object  of  its  malignity,  will  become  paralyzed. 
In  fact  the  word  pepina  signifies  in  tupi-guarani  (pe) 

1  To  not  row,  is  in  this  fluvial  region  a  seeming  impossibility. 


BELIEFS,   TRADITIONS,  SUPERSTITIONS.        6l 

which  breaks,  (piu)  that  which  paralyzes,  that  breaks 
or  inutilizes  arms,  legs — in  short,  that  paralyzes. 

The  beliefs  referring  to  minerals,  are  nearly  extinct, 
with  the  exception  of  the  celebrated  clear  green 
stone,  the  mueraquitan'  Still  one  finds  now  and 
then,  an  old  woman  who  will  sell  this  stone,  which, 
in  the  guise  of  an  amulet,  is  hung  from  the  throat, 
together  with  the  rosary,  and  with  teeth  of  animals. 
Of  similar  dangling  objects,  mothers,  even  those  who 
are  civilized,  will  suspend  from  the  necks  of  their 
children,  from  cord  or  chain,  serpents'  teeth,  birds' 
beaks,  shells,  eyes  of  Saint  Luiza  in  metal,  figures  of 
Saint  Braz  in  bone,  all  to  preserve  from  mortal  dis 
ease,  from  falls,  the  evil  eye,  convulsions,  blindness, 
etc.,  etc. 

If  children  fall  ill,  they  are  blessed  by  pages  or 
old  women,  to  whom  is  attributed  the  occult  and 
mysterious  science  of  a  cure  by  means  of  blessing. 

One  of  the  formulas  of  this  process  is  the  follow 
ing  : 

"  In  the  name  of  the  Virgin, 
Bewitching  evil  eye, 
Go  forth  from  here, 
This  child  is  not  for  thee." 

1  This  stone  was  fabricated  by  the  Amazons  (female  warriors)  .  .  . 
In  olden  times,  at  Santarem,  an  Indian  rite  was  practised,  principally 
on  the  mandioca  settlements.  In  the  centre  of  the  mandioca  field,  a 
stone  was  placed,  called  the  mother  of  the  mandioca,  which  served  as 
an  altar  for  various  sacrifices  and  ceremonials,  and  which  was 
guarded  with  the  greatest  care. 

Was  an  old  Brazilian  author  justified,  then,  in  declaring  that 
stone-worship  formerly  existed  on  the  Amazon  ? 


62  IN  AMAZON  LAND. 

It  is  said  the  mucraquitan  loses  its  virtue,  if  set  in 
gold  or  metal. 

The  tupi-guaranis  believe  that  everything  has  a 
mother  (ci  in  their  language).  The  river,  the  woods, 
the  mountains, — all  have  their  mother  or  ci. 

A  traveller,  hearing  a  strange  noise,  asked  an  old 
woman  what  it  meant.  "  It  's  the  mother  of  the 
mamorana  (carica),"  she  replied.  The  mamoranas 
are  plants,  that  grow  in  fields  along  the  banks  of  the 
streams.  The  wind,  passing  through  them,  bends 
their  heads  like  rushes,  and  their  heavy  leaves,  beat 
ing  one  against  the  other,  produce  the  noise  heard, 
which,  according  to  the  opinion  of  the  old  woman, 
was  the  "  manifestation  "  of  the  mother  of  the  plants. 

Some  kinds  of  flies  are  mothers  of  certain  plants, 
and  when  those  insects  die,  the  plants  fade  and 
wither  away. 

Such  are  some  of  the  beliefs  which  the  Amazo 
nian  people  inherit  from  their  savage  ancestors. 

As  has  been  remarked,  their  religion  is  rather  a 
mixture  of  fetichism  and  polytheism,  than  mono 
theism.  The  beliefs  arising  from  the  tupi-guarani 
faith  are  fetish  ;  those  from  the  Conqueror,  poly 
theistic.  Withal,  fetichism  always  predominates. 

It  is  not  uncommon  to  see  these  people  dedicate 
a  bird,  an  animal,  or  the  fruits  of  a  tree  to  some 
favorite  saint. 

In  Monte  Alegre  a  traveller  was  unable  to  procure 
one  single  bunch  of  cocoas,  as  they  had  ^11  been  dedi 
cated  to  the  patron  saint  of  the  village. 

Near  the  town  of  Obidos,  at  a  small  agricultural 
establishment,  was  one  tree,  whose  fruits  were  exclu- 


BELIEFS,   TRADIl^IONS,  SUPERSTITIONS.        63 

sively  dedicated  to  St.  Antonio.  Often  on  the  sitios 
(farms)  it  is  impossible  to  buy,  for  example,  a  fowl. 
One  receives  the  simple  answer,  given  without  excuse 
or  explanation  "  It  is  for  the  saints  " — E'do  santo  ! 

Withal  a  saint,  among  them,  is  often  the  victim  of 
reproach  and  insult.  When  rain  is  wished  he  is 
plunged  into  the  water  ;  when  anything  is  lost  he  js 
tied  up,  beaten,  and  exiled  from  the  oratory. 

The  belief  of  one  God,  "  Three  in  one,"  is  almost 
unknown.  Indeed  the  name  of  God  is  seldom  heard 
except  in  phrases  like  the  following  :  "  God  preserve 
you  "  (Dcos  o  queira),  or  "If  God  wishes "  (Si 
Deos  quizer).  And  in  their  minds  is  the  Holy  Spirit 
no  other  than  a  saint,  certainly  the  object  of  much 
festive  devotion,  owing,  it  may  be,  to  his  favorite  and 
beautiful  symbol,  the  dove. 

Neither  has  Jesus  Christ  for  them  the  importance 
assigned  in  Catholic  theology.  He,  like  the  God- 
Child  (Menino-Deos),  is  simply  an  object  of  fetichism. 
It  is  a  shocking  fact,  but  nevertheless  a  true  one, 
that  the  Supreme  Being,  Triune  of  Christianity,  holds 
little  place  in  the  minds  of  the  Amazonian  races.  For 
them  the  saint  is  all — the  object  of  all  their  religious 
sentiment,  poor  and  fanatic  as  it  may  be.  And  even 
this  saint  is  partly  transformed  into  a  tapuian  god 
similar  to  the  one  their  forefathers  worshipped. 

Among  those  beliefs  which  are  ranked  as  tupis — 
Catholic,  belongs  the  saire.  This  is  botTi  a  profane 
and  a  religiqus  ceremony,  comprising 'the  mass,  the 
song,  and  the  dance.  The  song  is  a  melopoeia,  sad 
and  monotonous  in  the  extreme.  Herewith  two 
verses:  (i)  ( Tupi)  " Itdcamuti pupi  neiassucd pitani 


64  IN  AMAZON  LAND. 

1 ___ — _ — 

puraga  ite"  Translation  :  "  In  a  stone  font  was  bap 
tized  the  Child  Jesus.  (2)(Tupi)  "  Cun ha  puraga 
imcmbira  raue  catti  iputira  ipdpe"  Translation : 
"Santa  Maria  is  beautiful  among  women,  and  her 
son  is  like  unto  her."  Each  verse  is  droned  by  three 
old  women,  and  all  join  in  the  simple  refrain,  "Jesus 
and  Santa  Maria."  After  -the  song  is  concluded 
refreshments  are  passed  around. 

The  word  saire  signifies  crown,  and  the  ceremony 
is  very  old.  The  dance  consists  of  short  paces,  like 
the  soldier's  quick  march,  performed  to  the  sound  of 
a  tambour  which  is  generally  played  by  an  old  Indian. 

This  feast,  or  ceremony,  if  not  created  by  the  early 
Jesuits,  met  at  least  with  their  approval.  One  of 
the  earliest  Jesuit  missionaries  composed  hymns  for 
the  Indians  in  their  language,  in  which  God,  the 
angels,  and  the  saints  are  praised,  and  better  to 
attract  through  the  melody  of  the  hymn,  he  himself 
taught  those  of  the  young  who  possessed  the  best 
voices. 

The  acuteness  and  perspicuity  of  the  Jesuit  fathers 
thus  stand  revealed.  They  well  understood  the 
necessity  of  this  mixture  of  rites  against  which  the 
Indians  would  not  rebel  as  against  the  teachings 
of  pure  Catholicism,  for  which  their  minds  were 
totally  unprepared.  Yet,  on  one  hand,  if  the  Fathers 
succeeded  in  subjugating  these  wild  people,  and  far 
better  thafl  the  metropolitan  government  with  all 
its  power ;  on  the  other  hand  must  be  attributed  to 
them,  at  least  to  a  certain  point,  the  amalgamation 
of  savage  fetichism  with  Catholic  rites. 

One  of  the  most  popular  feats  in  this  respect  is  that 


BELIEFS,   TRADITIONS,  SUPERSTITIONS.        65 

— — _ ! 

of  the  Holy  Spirit  (Espirito  SMitd).  A  month  or  two( 
before  its  advent  the  Imperador  (Emperor),  for  such 
is  the  name  given  to  the  Director,  the  Judge,  Major- 
domo,  and  devotees  embark  in  several  canoes,  all 
gaily  decorated  with  red  and  white  banners.  In  the 
centre  of  each  canoe  is  painted  a  symbolic  dove, 
another  is  carved  on  the  mast-head  of  the  respective 
masts.  The  Emperor  bears  the  corda  do  Divino, 
(crown  of  the  Divine),  and  the  devotees,  bedecked 
with  ribbons  and  carrying  tambours,  go  forth  to  col 
lect  alms  for  the  feast. 

This  region  is  a  perfect  labyrinth  of  channels, 
creeks,  and  lakes,  on  whose  banks  are  retired  ham 
lets,  and  scattered  houses.  To  these  sitios  (a  sitio 
is  a  name  given  to  any  habitation  outside  the  settle 
ments)  the  flotilla  of  canoes  is  directed. 

The  traveller  passing  along  one  of  these  channels 
(igarapts)  is  often  startled  by  an  odd-like  bum-bum 
sound.  He  is  told  that  it  is  the  "  crown  of  the 
Divine,"  which  is  near.  And  turning  some  point  in 
the  stream  he  sees  several  canoes  filled  with  men, 
women,  and  children;  flags  are  flying,  and  tambours 
beating.  It  forms  a  picturesque  sight  in  the  midst 
of  the  savage  landscape  ! 

In  each  sitio  there  is  a  feast.  The  "  crown,"  after 
it  has  been  kissed  and  held  momentarily  over  the 
head  of  each  person  present,  is  placed  upon  a  table, 
over  which  is  spread  the  best  cover.  Around  this 
crown  are  placed  rows  of  lighted  candles.  At  night 
fall  is  given  the  litany,  an  enforced,  uninteresting 
function.  Mass  is  read  by  the  best-informed  man 
present,  generally  in  horribly  mutilated  Latin. 


66  IN  AMAZON  LAND. 

Then  begins  the  profane  part  of  the  feast ;  there 
is  always  a  small,  and  badly  attuned  orchestra,  and 
dancing  follows,  sometimes  for  successive  days  and 
nights.  The  principal  feast  of  the  year  is  always 
given  at  the  emperor  s  house  and  with  all  the  differ 
ence  in  the  world,  one  is  involuntarily  reminded  of 
an  old-fashioned  donation  party  at  the  parson's. 
Heifers,  calves,  sheep,  fowls,  pigs,  baskets  of  farinha, 
tapioca  cakes,  fruits,  are  taken, — indeed  a  little  of 
everything  goes  along.  A  little  of  everything, 
except  money,  which  is  a  rare  commodity  on  the 
Amazon,  where  traffic  is  almost  wholly  carried  on 
by  the  primitive  system  of  barter. 

Occasionally  the  final  feast  takes  place  at  the 
nearest  village,  in  which  is  held  a  fair  of  the  objects 
collected  in  order  to  pay  the  expenses, — Mass  sung 
and  a  sermon  preached  by  the  parish  priest. 

At  Obidos  was  held  this  feast,  which  is  thus 
described  by  a  traveller.  "  It  was  not  a  moonlight 
night,  but  the  sky  was  illumined  by  millions  of  stars 
among  which  softly  shone  down  the  '  sweet  south 
ern  cross.'  River  breeze  and  forest  odor  agreeably 
blended.  The  population  of  the  town,  in  festive 
dress,  stood  ready  to  receive  the  crown,  and  to 
accompany  it  in  procession  to  the  church.  In  the 
middle  of  the  river,  many  canoes,  adorned  with 
arches  of  foliage  and  showily  illuminated,  ap 
proached  the  shore.  Weird  was  the  effect  on  that 
calm,  starlight  night ;  the  canoes,  whose  lights  were 
fantastically  reflected  in  the  water,  and  which  were 
filled  with  devotees,  whose  song  the  hour  and  the 
distance  softened  into  melody  !  " 


A  FISHING  PARTY. 

TINGUIJADA.1 

Half -past  four  in  the  morning  ! 

SR.  MANGEL  JOAO,  colonel  of  the  settlement 
"Una,"  could  be  heard  in  his  room,  alternately  cough 
ing,  wheezing,  and  beating  the  head  of  his  pipe  on  the 
hard  floor.  The  tide  was  approaching  low  water. 
Sr.  Manoel  proceeded  to  the  veranda,  his  head 
wrapped  up,,  like  a  Mussulman's  turban,  in  a  red 
handkerchief.  Four  lean  dogs,  wagging  their  tails, 
fawned  and  jumped  about  his  legs  in  frantic  delight. 

From  a  sacco  do  isqiieiro  (tinder-bag)  he  took  a  flint, 
a  piece  of  steel,  and  some  native  tobacco.  Striking 
fire,  he  lighted  his  pipe,  from  which  rose  the  odorous 
fume  of  the  tic-terra.  It  is  to  be  remarked  that 

1  Tinguijada  is  a  preparation  of  limbd-assti,  mud,  and  poisonous 
herbs,  which  is  applied  to  an  igarapd  (forest-stream)  for  the  purpose 
of  inebriating  the  fish,  which  then  come  to  the  surface  of  the  water 
floating  on  their  sides,  gills  open,  where  they  are  caught  \\\panheiros 
(coarse  baskets)  without  any  difficulty.  Generally,  the  giver  of  one 
of  these  parties  invites  all  his  neighbors,  who  wait  about  in  canoe^ 
until  the  tinguijada  has  produced  the  desired  effect,  when  they  pro 
ceed  to  load  their  canoes.  Afterwards  at  the  host's  house  the  fish  is 
equally  divided  among  the  guests. 

This  sort  of  fishing  is  strictly  but  vainly  prohibited  by  the  munici 
pal  authorities.  Of  course,  it  involves  a  great  waste  of  ' '  the  smaller 
fry." 

6? 


68  IN  AMAZON  LAND. 

matches  are  all  very  well  in  civilized  countries ;  for 
the  inhabitants  of  a  forest  or  rivermen,  who  live  in 
the  closest  contact  with  nature,  subject  at  every  mo 
ment  to  her  froward  moods,  they  are  useless. 

Above  all  to  the  fishermen,  who  are  constantly 
"  entre  a  agua  do  rio  e  a  agua  do  ceo "  (between 
water  of  river  and  water  of  sky). 

The  tinder-bag  can  be  wet  a  week  without  refusing 
fire.  Should  the  canoe  be  submerged,  which  fre 
quently  happens,  the  poor  fishermen,  being  obliged 
to  dive  like  duel*,  the  well-tempered  steel,  at  the 
bottom  of  the  water,  beats  in  the  tinder-bag  and 
produces  fire.  This  is  why  the  provident  and  prac 
tical  Sr.  Manoel,  going  to  a  tinguijada,  strung  on  his 
arm  his  old  sacco  do  isqueiro. 

At  daybreak,  then,  this  gentleman,  with  a  large 
escort,  started  out  for  the  igarapt,  called  Luiza 
Grande.  The  Caiaidra,  or,  as  he  is  called,  preparer 
of  the  igarape,  with  other  Indian  servants,  were  over 
looking  the  tapage  (covering)  or  damming  of  the 
stream,  which  had  taken  place  the  midnight  before 
at  high  tide.  The  first  tucunari  assti  flew  promptly 
above  the/drj. 

"  That  's  the  mother '  of  the  stream,"  said  Sr. 
Manoel,  disappointed.  "  The  brute  broke  my  pindal 
last  week." 

To  prevent  new  disasters,  canoes  were  pushed  just 
outside  the  covering.  A  shoal  of  Tucanarts  pitangas 
were  caught, — beautiful  creatures,  shining  like  span 
gles  of  gold  in  the  crystal  water.  As  soon  as  they 

1  In  Indian  tongue  ci  ;  the  Indians  believe  that  everything,  forest, 
mountain,  river,  stream,  has  a  ci. 


A   FISHING  PARTY.  69 


knew  they  were  prisoners  they  retreated  to  a  certain 
distance  and  began,  all  together,  to  fly  away.  Then 
the  canoes  approached  still  nearer ;  Sr.  Manoel 
rubbing  his  hands  with  content,  as  these  fish  were 
laden  in  the  holds.  An  Indian  girl,  meanwhile,  ran 
to  the  woods  to  gather  fagots,  with  which  she  quickly 
made  a  fire  to  heat  the  beijus  (tapioca  cakes)  and 
prepare  coffee  .  .  .  Then  began  the  real  work  of 
the  day,  the  tinguijada.  Great  quantities  of  the 
poisonous  «/^were  lashed  to  atoms,  over  the  surface 
of  the  water,  which  seethed  and  foamed  far  down  the 
igarapt. 

The  fish  were  soon  floating,  and  the  maddening 
excitement  of  the  sport  began  .  .  .  To  seize 
them  as  soon  .as  possible — that  is  the  thing — or  soon 
they  will  descend  to  the  bottom  to  die  !  Men  and 
women  worked  together 

But  on  these  excursions,  it  is  necessary  to  beware 
of  the  arraias  (ray-fish)  which  inflict  a  sting  that  can 
knock  a  person  senseless,  or  can  even  cause  death. 

These  igarape's  are  filled  with  them.1 

He  had  been  cured,  i.e.,  made  invulnerable  and 
could  now  with  impunity  tread  on  any  number  of 
them  without  feeling  their  sting.  But  Sr.  Manoel, 
in  his  enthusiasm  over  the  lucky  fishing,  sent  discre 
tion  to  the  winds  and  jumped  right  out  into  the 
middle  of  the  stream. 

Suddenly  through  the  forest  echoed  a  cry  deep  as 
the  Miserere  of  the  Trovador  : 

"At/      Jesu  !      ai !     ai !     help!      Jesii !      ai ! 

1  The  Cararara  had  already  warned  Sr.  Manoel  to  not  jump  out  of 
his  canoe  into  the  water. 


70  IN  AMAZON  LAND. 

the  ray-fish.  .  .  ."  He  was  carried  along  to  the 
canoe,  roaring  like  a  wild  animal. 

"  Where  is  the  flask  ? "  cried  one.  The  Indian 
girl  mentioned,  with  her  skirts  rolled  up  like  trousers 
between  her  bamboo-colored  legs,  stooped  down  to 
examine  the  wound.  "  Where  is  it,  patron  ?  " 

"  Here — there — here — ai  Jesu  !  " — groaned  the 
poor  man,  pointing  to  his  ankle  and  turning  his  head 
away  to  not  see  the  blood. 

The  wound,  somewhat  larger  than  a  sixpence,  and 
as  round,  was  speedily  stanched,  to  be  presently 
cicatrized. 

But  Sr.  Manoeljoao  was  confined  to  his  hammock 
for  a  good  fifteen  days  afterwards,  and  never  again, 
it  is  to  be  noted,  ventured,  when  leading  a  tinguijada, 
into  the  waters  of  the  igarapd  ! 


AMAZONIAN  RUBBER  IN  "  FIRST  HANDS." 

(Dedicated  to  the  dainty  maiden,  of  that  lost 
rubber  shoe.) 

IMPELLED  more  by  the  force  of  the  tide,  than  any 
impulse  given  to  the  great  oar,  Jos£  reached  the 
bridge  of  the  settlement.  He  called  with  him  a 
great  "  mould  "  of  dark  brown  rubber,  which  with 
his  own  hands  he  had  gathered  and  made.  And  in 
the  good  old-fashioned  style,  by  slowly  smoking  the 
milk  of  the  rubber-tree  over  a  smouldering  fire,  fed 
with  the  hard  nuts  of  the  tucumd  palm.  .  .  .  Now 
in  the  great  rubber  emporium,  Para,  the  soul  of  the 
princely  rubber  merchant  is  grievously  vexed  at  the 
tricks  civilization  has  taught  many  of  these  rubber 
gatherers. 

Balls  of  clay,  sand,  and  what  not,  are  introduced 
into  the  pranchas,  or  "  moulds,"  to  increase  their 
weight.  To  augment  the  quantity  of  milk,  sap  from 
other  trees  is  mixed.  And  worst  of  all,  to  avoid  the 
tedious  process  of  preparation,  the  seringueiro  (rub 
ber  gatherer)  makes  a  blazing  fire,  and  when  the 
milk  is  liquid,  puts  in  a  kind  of  flour,  and  if  this 
causes  it  to  coagulate  too  quickly,  acid  like  lemon  is 
added,  to  prevent  its  consolidation.  Consequently, 
the  purity  of  fine  rubber  is  greatly  damaged. 

71 


72  IN  AMAZON  LAND. 

But  back  again  to  the  settlement.  The  principal 
trader  therein  was  a  keen-witted  Portuguese,  whose 
dwelling  and  store  were  in  one  rude  habitation.  The 
seringueiro  approached  the  heavy,  old-fashioned 
scales,  and  putting  the  "  mould  "  on,  the  rusty  balance 
weighed  out  ten  kilograms  (20  Ibs.).  The  trader 
kicked  it  out  into  an  inner  room,  cheerfully  remark 
ing  to  his  customer,  six  kilograms — four  goes  out  for 
quebras  (loss).  The  seringueiro  never  reclaims  against 
such  a  decision,  in  reality  a  shameful  extortion. 

Not  alone  in  quebras  is  he  cheated,  but  in  the 
purchase  of  the  merest  necessities  of  life,  and  above 
all  in  the  price  or  rubber  at  the  capital. 

When  the  poor  man  wishes  to  enter  into  business 
secrets,  the  trader  reads  him  an  invoice  from  an  ac 
count  current  of  the  patron  at  Manaos  or  Para,  al 
ways  ending  up  with  the  ominous  word — exchange. 

The  rustic  is  credulous  by  nature,  and  when  he 
hears  the  word  exchange  he  is  struck  dumb. 

To  him  it  is  the  synonym  of  an  all-powerful  being, 
who  in  another  world  orders  the  rise  or  fall  of  rub 
ber  ! 

The  trader  walked  to  the  counter,  wetted  his 
pencil  with  the  tip  of  his  tongue,  and  taking  there 
from  a  piece  of  coarse  brown  paper,  said,  "  Good, 
what  do  you  want  this  time,  Jose  ?  " 

Then  commenced  the  transaction.  Cacha^a,  or 
rum,  candles,  sugar,  tobacco,  matches,  etc.  All 
noted  down  against  so  much  rubber. 

As  the  seringueiro  never  has  a  balance  at  the 
traders  ;  always  a  debit  in  his  books,  this  fact,  as  a 
usual  matter  of  form,  was  mentioned. 


AMAZONIAN  RUBBER  IN  "FIRST  HANDS"      73 

And  with  a  boa  noite,  and  promising  a  speedy 
supply  of  other  rubber  "moulds,"  Jose  started  on  his 
way. 

But  this  time  against  the  tide,  and  each  stroke  of 
the  great  oar  resounded  through  the  air  like  thunder ! 

And  it  being  St.  John's  eve,  over  the  bonfire  built 
round  his  hut,  as  he  reached  home,  he  jumped  the 
usual  three  times  for  good  luck ! 


SINHAZINHA  ! 

EIGHT  o'clock  in  the  morning !  Sinhazinha  had 
gone  to  the  balcony  for  a  breath  of  fresh  air.  She 
had  swept  and  dusted  the  little  shop  below,  which 
she  tended  together  with  her  mother,  the  Senhora 
Margarida  Carneiro,  widow  of  a  custom-house  official 
at  Para. 

The  Sra.  Margarida,  as  was  her  wont,  took  her 
morning  meal  of  coffee  and  beyu  rolls  in  the  shop 
door,  better  to  enjoy  the  morning  air,  and  a  gossip 
with  "  Aunt"  Anastasia,  the  herb-seller  in  front. 

A  good  old  soul  was  "  Aunt "  Anastasia,  from 
whose  watchful  eyes,  however,  were  hidden  few  of 
the  secrets  of  the  neighborhood.  Sinhazinha  heard 
her  say  to  her  mother :  "  There  goes  Amaral.  See, 
he  is  going  to  the  office.  That  's  a  proper  young 
fellow!  A  jewel.  He  is  so  good  to  his  mother. 
Poor  woman,  a  widow  like  yourself,  Sra.  Margarida. 
A  good  husband  he  would  make  your  daughter  !  " 

And  Sinhazinha  saw  passing  down  the  street  a 
tall  young  man,  fair  and  well-looking,  in  whose  mild 
physiognomy,however,  mingled  an  air  of  sadness  and 
unrest.  He  walked  on,  looking  neither  to  the  right 
nor  to  the  left,  without  the  least  idea  of  being  known 
to  the  herb-seller,  or  that  his  footsteps  were  followed 
by  Sinhazinha,  in  whose  ears  were  echoing  the  last 
words  of  "  Aunt  "  Anastasia.  • 

74 


SINHAZINHA  !  75 


And  who  might  take  her  to  be  his  wedded  wife 
would  n't  be  so  very  unlucky.  Indeed,  not.  Sinha- 
zinha,  with  her  eighteen  years,  though  she  looked 
younger,  active  and  laborious,  would  be  no  unworthy 
helpmeet.  Amaral  passed  every  morning,  on  his 
way  to  the  office,  without  even  raising  his  eyes  to 
her,  and  with  the  same  air  of  preoccupation.  And 
in  Sinhazinha's  ears  were  ever  echoing  the  last  words 
of  "  Aunt  "  Anastasia.  And  she  had  added  that "  he 
was  so  good  to  his  mother."  She,  too,  promised  her 
self  that  she  would  be  kind  to  her  mother  ;  though 
she  certainly  was  not  very  amiable,  nor  had  she  ever 
bestowed  on  her  much  of  maternal  tenderness  or 
love.  Still  it  was  strange  he  never  even  saw  her. 
One  day,  indeed,  he  lifted  his  eyes,  and  glanced  at 
her.  How  her  heart  beat !  and  she  went  swiftly  up 
to  her  favorite  balcony.  The  next  day  she  did  not 
venture  to  the  door,  fearing  lest  he  should  think  she 
was  waiting  for  him,  and  so  form  a  poor  opinion  of 
her. 

And  it  seemed  as  if  "  Aunt  "  Anastasia  sometimes 
smiled  maliciously.  Heavens !  of  what  was  she 
thinking ! 

Of  what  "  Aunt "  Anastasia  was  thinking  is  not 
known,  but  it  is  certain  that  Amaral  never  again 
took  the  trouble  to  even  glance  at  Sinhazinha. 

Days  and  weeks  were  passing.  She  thought 
she  observed  a  change  in  the  physiognomy  of  the 
young  man,  that  he  seemed  contented,  almost 
joyous,  and  once  she  saw  his  lips  part  With  a  happy 
smile.  She  was  ignorant  of  the  cause,  but  a  little 
after  she  knew  all,  overhearing  a  conversation  be 
tween  "  Aunt  "  Anastasia  and  her  mother. 


76  IN  AMAZON  LAND. 

"  Amaral  is  walking  on  air,"  the  former  said. 
"  He  is  going  to  marry.  The  betrothed  is  the  daugh 
ter  of  his  patron — very  fine  people."  All  was 
explained.  "  Probably  the  dot,"  she  continued, 
"is  n't  large,  but  she  will  have  a  grand  enxoval'' 
(outfit) ;  "  and  she  is  so  chic  and  fair — a  blonde." 

"  That  is  it,"  said  poor  Sinhazinha,  with  a  de 
spondent  shrug;  "I  am  so  hatefully  dark.  He 
likes  blondes,  and  hair  of  gold.  Well,  she  could 
never  care  for  another. 

She  received  offers  of  marriage — yes,  and  good 
ones.  Not  all  who  passed  the  shop  were  blind, 
but  she  refused  all,  an-d  her  mother  found  no  fault. 
Egoist  as  she  was,  she  knew  how  much  to  be  valued 
were  her  daughter's  services —  -  The  business  was 
extending they  were  very  well  to  do. 

Amaral  married  ;  he  frequented  the  theatre,  and 
all  gatherings,  with  his  wife,  quite  a  grand  lady, 
dressed  in  the  latest  Para  fashions.  Sinhazinha 
sometimes  wondered  if  she  were  happy  ;  for  she 
thought  she  divined  in  her  a  certain  touch  of  vanity, 
of  frivolity,  and  indifference. 

Great  joy  in  Amaral's  house,  a  boy  was  born. 

After  some  time,  Sinhazinha  saw,  accompanying 
the  wife,  a  robust  young  countrywoman,  fantasti 
cally  dressed,  holding  in  her  arms  a  fair  and  rosy 
infant.  "  If* that  baby  were  mine,"  she  said  in 
homely  phrase,  "  I  would  nurse  him  myself!  "  But 
Amaral's  wife  had  no  desire  for  this.  And  in  a 


SINHAZINHA  !  77 


little  while,  with  her  capricious  temper,  her  selfish 
ness,  and  extravagance,  her  neglect  of  household 
duties,  so  many  dissensions  arose  in  that  household 
that  Amaral's  mother,  a  saint  if  ever  there  were  one 
on  this  earth,  thought  it  better  to  leave  her  old  home 
for  a  new. 

"  Is  it  possible !  "  said  Sinhazinha,  upon  hearing 
this  piece  of  news  from  "  Aunt  "  Anastasia.  "  Poor 
lady,  so  good,  so  kind.  I  think  it  should  not  be 
very  difficult  to  live  with  her!  " 

One  day  Amaral  passed  dressed  in  black.  His 
mother  had  died.  "  Deos  meo  !  "  sighed  the  girl, 
"what  will  now  become  of  the  poor  boy!"  And 
not  without  reason  was  she  disturbed.  The  child, 
left  almost  wholly  to  the  care  of  servants,  was  fast 
becoming  spoiled.  The  mother  neglected  him,  limit 
ing  her  affection  to  feeding  him  with  cakes  and 
unwholesome  sweetmeats. 

The  child,  always  pale  and  weakly,  became  stunted 
in  his  growth. 

Meanwhile  the  father,  to  satisfy  the  demands  of 
his  wife,  spent  all  his  savings,  and  was  obliged  to 
Devote  many  hours  of  rest  to  excessive  labor. 

Still  the  means  of  living  grew  more  straitened. 
His  wife  alternately  chided  and  blamed  him,  urging 
him  to  leave  that  tiresome  place  for  Para,  the  capi 
tal.  There  he  could  get  a  situation  worth  having. 

Sinhazinha,  who  heard  much  of  what  was  going  on, 
thought  if  only  she  could  enter  the  house  unper- 
ceived,  to  put  all  in  order — if  only  she  could  do 
something.  But  what  could  she  do  ? 

She  watched  the  child  closely  as  he  passed  every 


78  IN  AMAZON  LAND. 

day  to  school,  beating  his  satchel  of  books  against 
his  little  legs.  Notwithstanding  his  stunted  growth, 
he  liked  to  run  about  the  streets,  and  shout,  and 
play.  With  his  curly  hair  flying  in  the  wind,  his 
dark  blue  eyes,  and  winning  smile,  he  was  an  at 
tractive-looking  little  fellow.  But  it  made  Sinhazinha 
tremble  to  watch  his  antics,  here  running  into  the 
middle  of  the  street,  then  calling  out  some  rude  name 
to  a  passer-by. 

One  day  she  heard  a  coachman  shout :  "  Here, 
here,  little  boy,  get  out  of  the  way !  " 

A  carriage  was'  approaching  and  the  horses  were 
going  at  full  speed.  The  child  heard"  the  cry,  ran, 
became  confused,  stumbled,  fell  down. 

Sinhazinha  threw  herself  under  the  horses'  very  feet 
and  pulled  the  child  up.  By  a  miracle  both  escaped 
unhurt.  Wild  with  delight  she  took  him  into  the 
house.  What  kisses,  what  caresses  she  lavished 
upon  him  !  And  she  persuaded  him  to  stay  a  long 
time,  saying  as  he  went :  "  Now  good-by  ;  don't 
say  a  word  to  your  mother,  so  that  she  will  not 
scold  you.  And  next  time,  more  care  !  " 

The  little  one  said  nothing  to  his  mother,  nor  ydl 
to  his  father.  When  the  child  passed  alone  she 
gave  him  tender  smiles  and  bestowed  upon  him  more 
caresses,  Oh  !  what  fond  caresses !  "  One  must  n't 
expect  too  much  in  this  world,"  the  poor  girl  said. 
"Even  a  little  happiness  so  seldom  comes!" 
And,  alas !  with  her  this  little  was  to  become  less ! 
Two  days  the  little  fellow  had  failed  to  pass.  He 
had  died,  one  night,  of  convulsions.  "  The  doctor 
came  too  late,"  said  "  Aunt  "  Anastasia,  "  but  when 


SINHAZINHA  !  79 


did  the  mother  ever  look  after  anything,  let  alone  the 
child  ?  She  should  have  seen  the  danger  in  time." 

Sinhazinha's  eyes  filled  with  tears  when  she  next 
saw  the  father  pass.  He  had  grown  gray,  looked 
worn  and  old.  Was  it  possible  she,  the  wife,  only 
sought  to  probe  the  bleeding  wound  ?  Yes,  it  was 
possible. 

And  finally  things  reached  that  pass,  to  use  the 
words  of  "  Aunt  "  Anastasia,  that  he  was  forced  to 
close  his  doors  upon  his  once  well-beloved  wife.  She 
long  ago  had  deceived  and  betrayed  him.  He  was 
now  indeed  alone.  And  Sinhazinha  too  was  alone. 
Her  mother,  at  the  close  of  a  tranquil  old  age,  had  lain 
down  to  her  long  sleep.  Yes,  both  were  alone.  .  .  . 
And  he  continued  to  pass  without  glancing  at  her, 
without  even  knowing  that  she  existed.  One  day, 
as  she  stood  at  the  door,  their  eyes  met.  Was  it 
chance,  was  it  premonition?  He  lifted  his  hat  and 
gravely  bowed.  She  inclined  her  head  and  went 
within,  suffocated.  Over  her  saddened  existence 
it  seemed  to  her  had  opened  one  ray  of  light.  He 
had  seen  her,  he  knew  her  !  Poor  creature !  this  ray 
of  light  was  only  to  illume  its  close  !  That  same 
day  a  neighbor's  child  fell  ill  of  a  fever.  Sinhazinha 
according  to  her  wont,  went  to  nurse  him  and  took 
herself  the  dangerous  fever.  During  the  three  days 
of  her  illness,  she  showed  much  resignation.  At  the 
last,  she  made  this  request  of  "  Aunt  "  Anastasia, 
that  after  all  was  over  she  would  send  Amaral  a  card 
of  invitation  to  her  funeral.  He  had  seen  her — 
he  knew  her.  Amaral  wondered  at  the  card,  but  at 
tended.  He  met  "  Aunt "  Anastasia,  now  grown  old 


80  IN  AMAZON  LAND. 

and  becoming  more  garrulous  than  ever.  Upon  his 
inquiry,  she  explained  that  it  was  at  Sinhazinha's 
request  she  sent  the  card,  and  she  told  him  who  it 
was  who  once  saved  his  child's  life,  adding  that  for 
ten  years  Sinhazinha  had  never  failed  to  await  him, 
as  he  passed  her  door  to  his  office.  "  I  saw  it  all, 
Senhor  meo  " — Sainted  soul, — "  she  cared  for  you 
well — too  well." 

He  gave  no  reply.  But  now  every  morning  as  he 
passes  the  deserted  shop,  he  says  to  himself :  "  There 
was  felicity — there  was  true  happiness.  I  had  only 
to  have  knocked  at  the  door — but  now  all  is  over  " ; — 
a  similar  history  perhaps,  is  that  of  many  human 
lives ! 


AN  AMAZONIAN  FUNERAL. 

IN  the  palm-thatched  hut  by  the  side  of  the  river, 
old  Francisco  lay  dying.  Yet  no  one  would  suppose 
that  therein  lay  a  Christian  soul,  passing  into  the 
portals  of  death.  It  was  more  like  a  house  of  feast 
ing.  Coffee,  a  decoction  of  mandioca,  assai,1  and 
sweetmeats  were  hourly  passed  round.  Such 
is  the  custom  of  the  ro$a  (settlement,  clearing). 
When  the  curandeiros  (wise  men)  declare  a  cure  im 
probable,  that  there  is  no  longer  hope  (although 
with  God  nothing  is  impossible),  and  this  often  for 
days  before  the  light  of  life  is  extinguished,  the 
house  is  filled  with  guests.  In  civilized  places,  much 
is  spent  for  physicians,  medicines,  the  funeral,  the 
service.  Here,  nothing  of  this,  but  there  are  the 
neighbors.  As  I  said,  it  seemed  like  a  house  of 
feasting.  The  girls,  sitting  or  reclining  on  mats  of 
braided  palm  spread  on  the  floor  (mother  Earth), 
told  stories  and  laughed.  Suddenly,  wiping  her 
eyes  with  the  back  of  her  hand,  there  appeared  at 
the  door  of  the  room  a  withered  old  woman. 
Laughter  ceased,  as  all  gathered  round  as  if  to  ques 
tion  her,  while  she  between  her  sobs  stammered  out: 
"  I  said  those  herbs  were  no  good  ;  he  should  have 
taken  the  quinine  my  cousin  sent,"  which,  being  in- 

1  Assai,  a  fruit  of  the  palm,  crushed  to  a  pulp  and  eaten  with  sugar 
and  farinha. 

6  81 


82  IN  AMAZON  LAND. 

terpreted,  meant  that  the  poor  old  man  had  passed 
into  the  rest  of  the  Hereafter  ! 

Reader,  have  you  ever  seen  a  tropical  storm — a 
storm  that  falls  generally  late  in  the  day,  during 
the  change  of  the  "  wet  "  season  to  the  "  dry,"  or 
the  reverse  ? 

The  sky  darkens  rapidly,  a  dry  wind  sweeps  over 
the  earth,  tearing  off  branches  of  trees  and  thicken 
ing  all  the  air  with  their  falling  leaves.  After  the 
wind,  comes  the  dense  heavy  rain.  Suddenly  the 
tempest  is  past.  The  sun  peers  through  the  clouds. 
Silence  falls  on  all  nature  a  moment  before  so 
fiercely  stirred.  So  it  happened  in  the  house  of 
poor  old  Francisco,  in  the  hour  in  which  he  rendered 
up  his  spirit  to  the  Almighty.  After  the  old  woman 
just  mentioned  had  closed  the  door  upon  the  visit 
ors,  there  broke  forth  a  perfect  tempest  of  cries, 
groans,  and  tears. 

Soon  quiet  reigned.  Sobs  and  tears  ceased.  Only 
here  and  there  could  be  heard  an  exclamation  like 
the  following :  "  Eight  days  ago  to-day  it  was  that 
he  took  his  arrow-spear,  the  one  hanging  on  the  wall 
yonder,  and  he  said  to  me,  he  said,  '  My  old  woman, 
I  am  going  to  look  out  for  a  tucunari!  "  And  she 
choked  up  with  sobs.  "  Yes,"  said  a  half-Indian 
girl,  who  was  leaning  against  the  wall,  "  up  there  is 
the  head  of  the  creature."  Hunters  and  fishermen 
of  the  Amazon  are  in  the  habit  of  smoking  the  heads 
of  all  large  fish  or  game  caught,  and  stowing  them 
away  in  the  straw  and  rubbish  of  the  roof. 

The  funeral  preparations   now  commenced.      In 


AN  AMAZONIAN  FUNERAL.  83 

the  middle  of  the  room,  on  a  great  mat  of  the  miriti 
palm,  was  placed  the  corpse. 

At  this  moment  Antonio,  the  nephew,  appeared, 
bringing  in  a  cross,  carefully  wrapped  round  in  a 
linen  towel.  As  he  placed  it  on  a  rude  bench,  he 
remarked  :  "  Afterwards  this  must  go  to  '  Aunt ' 
Thomazia ;  she  is  going  to  have  a  baptism  in  her 
house."  In  the  interior  the  cross  is  likewise  used  on 
all  festive  occasions. — As  the  cemetery  lay  at  some 
distance  down  the  river,  the  funeral  hearse  was  a 
canoe,  with  an  awning  of  the  strong  fibre  of  the 
bossu  palm. 

Under  this  was  placed  the  body  of  poor  Francisco, 
dressed  simply  in  cotton  shirt  and  trousers,  his  best 
clothes,  or,  as  the  natives  say,  "  clothes  to  see 
God  in." 

To  the  sound  of  bitter  weeping  the  company  em 
barked  ;  the  young  girls  dressed  in  white,  with 
cayenne-jessamine,  and  lilies  in  their  hair. 

The  canoe  glided  on  to  the  sound  of  the  tide.  As 
before,  the  sound  of  weeping  soon  ceased,  and  by 
the  time  ihd&anna,  or  mixture  of  rum,  went  round, 
there  were  not  wanting  piquant  jests  and  jokes, 
which  these  rustics,  although  ignorant,  know  well 
how  to  season  with  a  caustic  and  malicious  flavor. 

At  a  picturesque  point  of  the  river,  reached  by  a 
flight  of  shaky  wooden  steps,  the  canoe  was  fastened. 
The  body  of  the  old  man  was  placed  in  a  grass 
hammock,  and  borne  on  the  shoulders  of  two  near 
'relatives  through  the  narrow  forest  path.  In  Indian 
file  followed  the  procession.  Reaching  a  spot  where 


84  IN  AMAZON  LAND. 

the  woods  grew  the  thickest,  a  sharp  note  pierced 
the  solitude.  It  came  from  the  throat  of  that 
strange  bird,  the  quin-quin-o.  He  only  inhabits  the 
great  forests  of  the  mainland.  His  song — if  song  it 
can  be  called — those  measured  notes  of  lamentation, 
is  weird  in  the  extreme. 

Upon  hearing  it,  Antonio  stopped  to  fire  his  gun 
into  the  air,  meanwhile  exclaiming :  "  Here  goes 
your  grandfather,  you  bird  of  ill-omen  !  " 

Finally  this  strange,  half-fluvial  funeral  procession 
reached  the  cemetery,  called,  in  the  native  tongue, 
The  Rest.  In  it  was  a  simple  chapel,  in  front  of 
which  was  erected  a  great  cross  of  hard  wood. 

They  laid  the  old  man  to  his  rest,  each  one  drop 
ping  on  his  grave  a  handful  of  earth.  And  Antonio 
murmured  this  funeral  oration :  "  My  good  uncle, 
sleep  in  peace ;  there  is  one  the  less  to  eat  fa- 
rinha  !  " 


DOLCE  FAR  NIENTE. 

"  There  is  no  joy  but  calm." — TENNYSON. 

OVER  the  turbid  waters  of  the  Amazon,  rising  and 
falling  to  the  blue  fleecy  waves  of  the  Tocantins, 
our  canoe  glides  gaily  on !  There,  in  one  of  those 
bewitching  islands,  kissed  by  the  sweet,  warm  breath 
of  eternal  summer,  caressed  by  sportive  billows  and 
fragrant  breezes,  we  come  to  anchor ! 

In  the  midst  of  cocoa-palms  and  shady  mango 
trees  stands  a  rude  dwelling. 

The  furniture  consists  of  one  great  cedar  table,  and 
rude  benches  are  placed  along  the  adobe  floors.  What 
of  it  ?  In  the  open  veranda  we  swing  our  hammocks ; 
a  couple  of  American  rockers,  patriotically  keeping 
time  beside.  A  few  other  luxuries  of  civilization 
meanwhile  are  unpacked. 

Come  in,  reader,  you  who  on  your  luxurious  couch 
tumbled  and  tossed  the  weary  night  long  as  you 
thought  over  that  last  unfortunate 'speculation.  It 
went  badly  enough,  to  be  sure  ;  you  can  weather 
the  loss,  out  not  much  more  of  "brandy  and 
vexation." 

Even  now  they  are  telling  on  your  once  iron  nerves. 
»— Let  well  enough  alone — come — rest  in  this  "  sum 
mer  isle  of  Eden  !  " 

And  you,  martyr  of  dyspepsia,  hasten  hither. — 
85 


86  IN  AMAZON  LAND. 

Fish  and  hunt  to  your  heart's  content  the  whole 
day  long.     After  all 

"  Other  joys  are  but  toys, 
And  to  be  lamented." 

In  this  open-air  life  your  appetite  will  reach  vo 
racity.  "  Dyspepsia  and  despair "  will  "  take  to 
themselves  wings !  " 

Herewith  an  Amazonian  recipe  for  dyspeptics. 
Catch  your  fish  or  game  yourself,  netting  skilfully 
besides  a  supply  of  great  shell-pink  shrimps. 

Prepare,  seasoning  with  salt,  lemon,  and  odorous 
native  pepper. 

Place  over  a  brazier  of  red-hot  coals,  which  blow 
now  and  then  with  the  native  mat-fan. 

To  be  eaten  at  leisure,  and  leisurely  washed  down 
with  the  spring-cold  water  of  the  igara.pt. 


To  you  of  the  aching  heart  and  the  o'er  weary 
brain, — here — nature  will  lull  you  to  rest,  perchance 
to  forgetf ulness ! 


A  BALL  IN  AMAZON  LAND. 

"GOOD-EVENING,  Miss  Anica." 

"  The  same  to  you,  Mr.  Gregorio." 

"Your  blessing  (literally  benediction),  Aunt 
Chica." 

"  God  preserve  you  for  good,  Manduca." 

Other  cordial  greetings  having  been  exchanged, 
the  girls  seat  themselves  on  great  tupi  mats,  and  the 
men  on  long  wooden  benches.  In  one  corner  of  the 
room  is  •  the  family  oratory,  covered  over  for  this 
festive  occasion  with  a  cloth  of  scarlet  red. 

The  musicians,  like  King  Cole's  fiddlers,  are  three, 
the  instruments  being  the  wire-strung  guitar,  the 
fiddle,  and  the  cavaquinho,  or  small  violin. 

Coffee  with  egg,  sweetmeats,  and  mucuru,  or  na 
tive  punch,  are  presently  served  round.  In  a  few 
moments,  the  country  dance  begins  to  form.  The 
young  men,  after  conferring  briefly  together,  ap 
proach  the  tupis  ;  each  selects  the  girl  of  his  choice, 
assists  her  to  rise,  and  marches  with  her  to  the  mid 
dle  of  the  room. 

These  young  fellows,  though  coatless,  wear  shoes 
and  sport  gorgeous  cravats. 

The   girls   are   dressed   in    gaily-colored    cotton 

skirts,  and  chemise-like  sacques,  falling  a  little  below 

"the   hips.     The  hair  is  adorned   with  flowers,  and 

high-backed  combs.     Each  girl  has  managed  to  se- 

37 


88  IN  AMAZON  LAND. 

cure  a  fan,  with  which  she  toys  with  all  the  languid 
grace  of  a  Spanish  seflorita. 

The  beau  of  the  ball  seems  to  be  a  young  fellow 
of  twenty,  or  thereabouts,  tall,  straight  as  an  arrow, 
loquacious,  and  extraordinarily  at  his  ease.  "Mr." 
Sylvestre,  for  such  is  his  name,  reads,  writes,  and 
reckons ;  and  throughout  the  island,  is  dubbed  as  a 
learned  young  fellow. 

As  the  music  is  about  to  strike  up,  the  host  ap 
pears,  and  looking  around  with  an  important  air, 
calls  :  "  All  in  places,  then.  Who  leads  ?  " 

"  He  is   at  the  head  there,   Sylvestre." 

"  That  is  right ;  nobody  gives  such  an  air  to  the 
fandango  as  does  Sylvestre."  Contented  to  see  so 
many  of  his  neighbors  around  him,  the  good  man 
advances  to  a  cabocla  '  of  middle  age,  and  leads 
her  towards  the  "  set,"  remarking :  "  Come,  my 
old  woman,  we  will  dance  bis-a-viz  with  Sylvestre. 
That  '11  be  fun  !  " 

The  hostess,  standing  near  Aunt  Quiteria,  is  also  a 
cabocla,  tall  and  sympathetic.  She  is  dressed  in  red 
cotton  skirt,  and  white  camisola  so  "blued"  that 
it  is  difficult  to  distinguish  the  original  color.  From 
her  ears  hang  the  largest  pair  of  ear-rings  mortal 
ever  beheld,  of  good  Portuguese  gold. 

They  were  placed  there  in  her  girlhood,  and  were 
never  removed,  except  when  through  their  own 
weight  they  fell  down,  parting  open  the  ears. 

Thus  they  were  now  imprisoned  in  their  seventh 
aperture. 

In  Holy  Week,  or  when  she  was  in  mourning  for 

1  Civilized  Indian. 


A   BALL  IN  AMAZON  LAND.  89 

some  relative,  a  piece  of  black  cloth  was  sewed  over 
them. 

The  music  striking  up,  Sylvestre,  like  a  command 
ing  officer,  shouts  out : 

"  Balance." 

"  Tour." 

"  Dama  passa,  cavalheiro  resta  !  "  etc.,  etc. 

With  this  ends  the  formalities  of  the  dance  ;  and 
now  begins  the  real  fun  of  the  evening. 

"  Walk  of  the  roca,"  (settlement)  is  called  out. 
Each  puts  his  dusky  partner  behind  him,  seizes  her 
by  the  arm,  and  bears  her  aloft,  over  his  shoulder. 

"  Olha  cobra  !  "  (Beware  of  the  snake).  Each 
turns  round,  continuing  the  figure,  contrary-wise. 
Presently  this  is  exchanged  for  " furta-pares" 
couple-snatching,  and  other  grotesque  figures,  often 
prolonging  one  quadrille  until  the  morning. 

At  a  late  hour  appears  an  important  character,  the 
harmonium-player,  a  new  arrival  in  this  part  of  the 
island.  Approaching  the  host,  with  somewhat  per 
turbed  visage,  he  inquires  :  "  How  is  it,  Uncle  Chico, 
that  you  did  n't  invite  me  to  your  fandango  ?  " 

"  Uai  !  did  n't  you  hear  the  guns  ?  "  retorts,  rather 
scornfully,  Uncle  Chico. 

The  roceiro  (settler)  never  sends  out  invitations. 
A  gun  shot  at  five  o'clock  in  the  morning,  one  at 
mid-day,  and  another  at  six  o'clock  at  night,  are 
sufficient  to  fill  his  house  with  guests. 

Thus  Uncle  Chico's  scornful  question :  "  Uai, 
#did  n't  you  hear  the  gun  of  the  roga  ?  " 

As  a  sort  of  interlude,  the  harmonium-player  now 


go  IN  AMAZON  LAND. 

begins  the  lundum,  mournful  in  tune  and  discordant 
in  the  extreme. 

Still  on  tired  ears  sometimes  resounds  the  refrain 
of  that  melody : 

"  Nosso  ceo  tern  mais  estrellas  ; 
Nossas  varzeas  tern  mais  floras  ; 
Nossos  bosques  tem  mais  vida, 
Nossa  vida  mais  amores." 

Our  sky  has  more  stars  ; 
Our  meadows  more  flowers 
Our  woods  more  life  ; 
Our  life  more  love. 


ORCHIDS  FROM  A  TROPICAL  GARDEN. 

NEAR  THE   FOREST. 

DAYBREAK.  Perfumes  from  rare  orchids  fill  the 
air,  red  passion-flowers  strew  the  ground.  Great  blue 
butterflies  elude  the  grasp.  A  dewy  freshness  is 
over  all.  Now  the  sun  glows  into  fuller  life.  We 
will  descend  the  forest  path,  where  the  forest  stream 
meets  the  tiny  lake,  and  in  whose  clear  depths  the 
miriti  palms  are  mirrored. 

An  Indian  hut  stands  by  the  margin.  Indian 
children,  in  tiny  shirts,  come  and  go,  and  stretch 
their  bamboo-colored  legs  in  the  sun.  Now  the 
mother,  in  gay-colored  skirt  and  camisola,  ap 
proaches  the  lake  for  water.  With  what  superb 
bearing,  the  red,  filled  jar  poised  on  her  head,  does 
she  walk  away  ! 

Still  we  are  virtually  alone.  Indian  apathy  never 
slackens  ;  never  is  roused  into  curiosity  ;  asks  no 
questions.  We  are  free  to  come  and  go. 

A  glorious  dip — a  stretch  in  the  sunshine — a 
reverie — and  home  to  our  palm-thatched  hut  again  ! 

A   MORNING  CALL. 

,  INTOXICATING  sweetness  from  clouds  of  snowy 
jasmines  fills  house  and  garden.  In  the  drawing- 
room,  with  its  bare  floor  of  black  and  white  acapti, 

91 


92  IN  AMAZON  LAND. 

lofty  ceilings,  and  simple  bamboo  furniture,  are 
seated  two  visitors.  They  are  sisters, — neighbors, — 
who  greet  the  new-comer  warmly.  One  of  these 
girls  might  pose  as  a  study  for  Murillo's  "  Madonna." 
The  other,  too,  is  superb  in  her  way,  with  fine  flash 
ing  eyes,  and  dark  hair  that  hangs  in  braids  nearly 
to  her  feet.  In  all-unconscious  grace  they  sit,  and 
"  soft  Southern  speech  "  falls  musically  from  their 
tongue.  But  what  does  the  elder  girl  hold  in  her 
hands?  A  great,  practical  bunch  of  jingling  keys! 
(She  must  be  the  housekeeper.)  And  my  Madonna  ? 
She  has  a  mother-of-pearl  opera-glass  in  her  hand, 
and  nestling  in  her  sleeve  is  a  pet  rouxinole,  that 
flits  hither  and  thither  from  a  bowl  of  fragrant  roses. 

These  girls  wear  dainty  white  muslins,  and  with 
filmy  lace  of  their  own  handiwork.  What  need  of 
bonnets  or  gloves ! 

All  this  was  long  ago. 

My  Para  belle  of  to-day  visits  me  in  the  finest 
French  toilette,  and  at  the  hottest  hour  of  the  day, 
it  being  the  fashionable  one.  She  has  more  chic ; 
she  is  more  accomplished,  it  may  be,  than  her  sister 
of  old,  but  I  miss — well,  I  miss — the  golden 
rouxinole  ! 

FESTA   OF   OUR   LADY   OF   NAZARETH. 
(The  Patron  Saint  of  Para.) 

"THEN  the  lady  will  assist,  this  night,  at  the 
Festa  of  Nazareth  ?  Ah,  but  it  is  bonita,  the  festa  !  " 

So  smilingly  affirms  my  cabocla  maid,  Marie, 
whose  smiles  deepen  over  her  brown  face,  as  she 
receives  an  affirmative  answer. 


ORCHIDS  FROM  A   TROPICAL   GARDEN.  93 

Can  I  describe  the  first  impressions  of  this  strange 
annual  festa  ?  A  little  white-washed  church,  its  one 
cross  pointing  up  to  skies  where  is  the  "  sweet  south 
ern  cross  "  ;  in  front,  a  large  square,  not  regularly  laid 
out, — in  fact,  not  laid  out  at  all,  but  illuminated  by 
hundreds  of  gaslights  until  far  after  midnight ; 
gorgeous  fireworks,  at  which  the  stately  palms  them 
selves  seem  to  unbend  a  little,  and  to  nod  approv 
ingly.  Around  the  tree-bordered  square  are 
countless  little  tables  of  fruits  and  doces,  the  sellers 
thereof  laughing,  chattering  Indian  girls  and 
negresses,  whose  brilliancy  of  attire  Joseph's  coat 
of  old  could  not  well  eclipse.  The  evening  Mass  at 
chapel  heard,  the  leilao,  or  fair  for  charitable  pur 
poses,  attended,  a  long  hour  passed  in  watching  the 
novel  crowd  that  pass  and  repass  the  wide  paseo 
round,  and  down  the  beautiful,  silent  Nazareth 
avenue,  homeward  again. 

A   SUMMER  ISLE. 

NOT  unlike  an  emerald,  in  uncouth  setting,  rises 
my  fairy  islet,  fresh  and  sparkling,  from  the  turbid 
waters  which  gave  it  birth.  Ay,  not  many  centuries 
ago  !  On — over  the  tiny  beach  of  sand,  under  trees 
of  fragrant  cajti  and  golden  orange,  by  "  palms  in 
cluster," — to  where  mango  shades  woo,  and  cooling 
breezes  caress ! 

Pressed  close  to  mother  Earth,  I  dream,  and  am 

happy.       Love    breathes    o'er   the  fragrant  hours. 

^  Doubt,  and  pain,  and  sorrow,  what  are  they?      Less. 

than  yonder  fleecy  cloud    floating  over  the  mango 

trees,  the  turbid  waters,  and  the  fairy  islet,  Tatuoca! 


AT  REST. 

"  To  where,  beyond  these  voices,  there  is  peace  !  " 

IN  a  lone  cemetery  by  the  tangled  tropical  forest 
is  a  grave.  There  he  rests !  Over  that  grave  willows 
never  weep ;  birds  sing  never  ;  flowers  bloom  not, 
for  they  wither  in  the  fierce  sunshine,  or  the  raging 
tropic  storms  cast  them  away. 

But  the  "  sweet  southern  cross,"  the  cross  he  and 
I  have  so  often  watched,  looks  peacefully  down  on 
that  grave.  What,  then,  if  willow  weeps  not ;  if 
white  flowers  bloom  never ;  if  tropic  birds  in  the 
forest  have  no  song  ?  My  thoughts  are  more  fra 
grant  than  the  flowers  ;  my  heart  weeps  when  even 
the  willow  would  be  silent  ;  my  love  watches  as  do 
never  watch  floating  clouds,  nor  dewy  stars. 

Even  what  of  "  death,  the  tomb,  sorrow "  ;  a 
broken  heart?  He  is  at  rest.  He  knoweth  nought 
of  them  more.  "  Only  the  living  know.  Only  the 
living." 

Oh,  my  love,  my  love,  would  I,  too,  were  above 
the  clouds,  and  the  stars,  and  the  beating  storms  ! 

THE   END. 


94 


A     000  073  084     6 


